"'Ridiculous,' President Bush called the program when he was in Saudi Arabia in November. He was referring to 'Voice of Peace,' Iraq's version of the Axis Sally or Tokyo Rose propaganda broadcasts during World War II, and he couldn't know how right he was.

"The female announcer -- nicknamed Baghdad Betty by U.S. servicemen -- tries to shake morale. One major reports hearing her declaim, 'G.I., you should be home.' Why? Because 'while you're away, movie stars are taking your women. Robert Redford is dating your girlfriend. Tom Selleck is kissing your lady.' And then comes the clincher. 'Bart Simpson is making love to your wife.'"

On February 1st, 1992, Johnny Carson opened "The Tonight Show" with what he called a retraction. The "Baghdad Betty" story, he admitted had evolved from a gag conceived by his writers involving Tom Selleck, Tom Cruise and Homer Simpson. "It was a joke," said Carson. "We made it up!"