[A+Bert (Outta here)]

Washington desperately wants Saddam to become its tool, reluctant or not. But Saddam who has been in power since 1969 -- the same time period, 32 years, as Libya's Mo'amar Qaddhafi -- knows he holds some high cards in his hand and knows that the American president, both Clinton and Bush, hold less than Western observers think.

I have to agree 100% with this observation. The US has bet on the wrong horse between Turkey and Iraq.

[Lejes Rimul]

Now if there's ever a terrible race to bet on, it would have to be between those two. Turkey's bankrupt and braindrained and Iraq will implode sooner or later.