As the war on terrorism enters its second phase — finding and stamping out future Osama bin Ladens — Saddam Hussein finds himself in the crosshairs of a hawkish Bush administration beating a drum for what it euphemistically called "regime change."
Saddam: A life of sticking by his guns
Iraqi President Saddam Hussein has long espoused
dreams of a unified Arab superpower replete with nuclear weapons, stretching
from the Euphrates River to the Suez Canal. His vision colors his politics,
say writers and officials who have studied or dealt with him, and may
be ultimately what pushes him into another war with the United States.
A war to oust Saddam probably would be a rout but not a pretty one. Even if all goes according to plan, infantrymen likely will have to fight an urban war through the streets of Baghdad, trying to sort civilians from soldiers. And if Saddam finds himself cornered, intelligence reports indicate a high probability he will use whatever is left of his weapons of mass destruction.
Debate swirls around Bush's pre-emption doctrine
Whether he intended to or not, President Bush's drumbeat for regime change in Iraq — through force if events warrant — has sparked a landmark debate about how aggressive U.S. foreign policy should be in protecting Americans.
If the United States launches an attack against neighboring Iraq, Jordanians fear many of the 59 Palestinian refugee camps across the Middle East that are home to more than 100,000 people will explode in rebellious violence against governments seen as too cozy with Israel and the United States.
Iraq's main opposition groups
Iraq's main opposition groups have been asking the United States to keep them informed of plans to topple Saddam Hussein. These groups have received U.S. funding in the past for their operations, but they have not received combat training for their forces.
