THEY SAY A LEOPARD NEVER CHANGES HIS SPOTS.

US says Baghdad Bob was lying about being questioned by US Forces.

A spokesman for US forces in Baghdad has denied claims from the former Iraqi Information Minister, known as Comical Ali, that he was questioned by the Americans.

Mohammed Said al-Sahhaf, famed for his deadpan insistence that Iraqi forces were crushing the invading Americans, has resurfaced for the first time since the collapse of the regime in April.

In brief interviews on Al-Arabiya and Abu Dhabi TV on Thursday, he said that he had surrendered himself to US forces, who had released him after questioning.

"Through some friends, I went to the Americans, to the people in charge, and an interview took place about a number of issues relating to my work," he said.

"After the interview, I was released."

But a spokesman for US forces in Iraq said they had never questioned Mr Sahhaf, let alone had him to release.

US Central Command was also unable to confirm his claims, telling BBC News Online: "He is an interesting story teller and we look forward to hearing what he has got to say."

But here is the bit that strikes me as interesting.

Looking thinner and greyer than three months ago during his daily press briefings, he declined to tell the Arab TV stations about the final days before Baghdad fell.

"The time is not yet ripe to say what happened. When history's ready, then we can talk about it," he said.

The time isn't ripe yet eh? Is that because you believe Saddam is still listening?

Read it here.