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Where's the Iraqi info guy? On the Net

By Janet Kornblum, USA TODAY

On the Net, where humor and quirkiness often rule, the celebrity of the moment is Iraqi minister of information Mohammed Saeed al-Sahhaf, aka "Baghdad Bob."

Internet users are flocking to a new Web site called "WeLoveTheIraqiInformationMinister.com" to check out his colorful and outrageous statements.

There's this one, for example: "God will roast their stomachs in hell at the hands of Iraqis."

Five U.S. friends from different cities launched the site last week, and it has been swamped ever since—proving once again that if there's a way to laugh at war (or make money from it), the Internet will find it.

David "D.J." LaChapelle, an Internet consultant in Washington, D.C., says he was talking to his friends about al-Sahhaf last week. They couldn't agree on the war but did agree that al-Sahhaf was too interesting a character to ignore.

"Every time I see this guy on the TV, I was running for the volume," LaChapelle says. "I just have to hear what he says. What would come out of his mouth would be so hilarious."

They launched the site "because we thought it would be funny, and I guess a lot of other people thought it was funny, too," LaChapelle says. "We need to get him on Leno and Letterman."

Al-Sahhaf hasn't been seen in public since April 8, but the site has been getting a half-million visitors and more than 1,000 e-mail messages a day. Al-Sahhaf was the second most popular war-related search term on Lycos on Monday.

People also are buying T-shirts and mugs featuring al-Sahhaf's statements. The founders say they are using the money to help pay the site's expenses.

That site is just one place to buy Iraq-related goods. As happens in nearly every major news event, eBay has become a clearinghouse for goods related to the war.

Iraqi money, T-shirts and books have been the rage. This week's latest hot eBay item: "Most wanted" playing cards distributed to soldiers to help them identify key Iraqi personnel.

As long as items are legal, they're fair game, says eBay spokesman Kevin Pursglove. But eBay is being vigilant about keeping illegal goods—especially looted museum artifacts—off the site and promises to turn in anyone trying to sell stolen booty.