Over the same time period, the long-running stall over the origin and significance of the anthrax letters will also be gradually phased down. An important step was taken a few days ago, with the highly-publicized due-diligence search of biodefense scientist Steven J. Hatfill. The mythology of the renegade CIA contractor, which has served as a useful distraction for the last several months, has assumed a life of its own, especially in the European media, and the air will have to be cleared before the truth can be told. But not just yet.
The United States political leadership understands perfectly well that Saddam Hussein has no intention of going quietly into the good night, and would never have dared to pull off something as daring as 9-11, even behind the veil of terrorism, without a truly terrible deterrent to back it up.
THIS IS NEXTThe US government is taking what steps it can to protect the citizenry from Saddam Hussein's doomsday weapons. It has ordered 100 million doses of Cipro, 25 million doses of a brand-new anthrax vaccine, and 300 million doses of smallpox vaccine. But it will be 6-18 months before these supplies are on line. Further, having the supplies and being able to deliver them in a timely fashion are two very different propositions. Then again, Saddam would always have the option of revenging himself on a softer target, such as one of our allies. Wherever there are muslims, there are potential human missiles to deliver his biological WMD. Finally, it is perfectly possible that there are weapons in Saddam's arsenal against which we have no possible defense, such as genetically-engineered smallpox. The long and the short of it is, if Saddam doesn't want to die, he can probably raise the stakes high enough that we can't touch him.
WE HAVE THIS ANTHRAX
YOU CAN NOT STOP US
ARE YOU AFRAID?
So, what to do? What cards to we have in our favor, now that Saddam has the initiative, with the destruction of the Trade Center and the subsequent anthrax threats? Well, Saddam Hussein is not a popular guy. His megalomania has already brought immense suffering to his own country. A resourceful thug, he has maintained power by establishing a robust system of carrots and sticks. Nevertheless, his life is as paranoiac as the most despised Roman emporaer, with food tasters, constant shuttling between bunkers, and frequent coup attempts. So, once Bush makes clear to the world the real state of play with respect to Saddam, 9-11, and the anthrax, the pressure to remove Saddam will be immense. (BTW, when you see that coming, get out of the market, because it's going into the dumpster for the duration.)
Nobody wants to die for Saddam Hussein. Nobody in Baghdad wants their city to end up like Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Saddam won't last long in that pressure cooker, and it is unlikely that the US will have to lay a finger on Iraq militarily to complete the goal of regime change. That will be the easy part, once this thing swings into high gear. The hard part will be ensuring that, when he goes, he doesn't take most of our Eastern Seaboard cities with him (all those subways, just perfect for distributing anthrax!). I'll wager that Saddam will not die in the coming conflict. Worst case, he'll be placed under house arrest for the rest of his life. His two crazy sons will be his constant companions, which should be a fitting punishment. But we ain't gonna kill him, not knowing if he's bluffing, or has four aces up his sleeve. No way.
All this was mapped out ten months ago. If you've been paying close attention you should have figured it all out by now. I invite you to bookmark this thread, and check back in a year to see how my predictions turned out.