The Other Player

Bush's political future may depend on how he handles the taunting challenge of Saddam Hussein

Seventeen months after defeating Saddam Hussein in battle, George Bush now finds his future intertwined with that of the Iraqi dictator. Both men are fighting for their political survival. And each realizes that his fate depends partly on how well he can outmaneuver the other.

As a distant enemy, Saddam loves Bush. By keeping U.N. inspectors in search of weapons documents out of the Agriculture Ministry for 18 days, then allowing them inside only after insisting that no Americans could be on the team, Saddam was able to portray himself as a leader on the comeback trail, tenacious and triumphant even...

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