Saddam Tries "Top Gun" Diplomacy

Dogfights over the no-fly zone are part of a diplomatic offensive by Saddam Hussein, and more can be expected. Every time the U.S. acts aggressively against Iraq it strengthens sympathy for Baghdad in the Arab world, says TIME Middle East bureau chief Scott MacLeod. With the Arab League due to meet late in January, Saddam is looking to pull off a major victory by securing support for an end to sanctions. Two developments Wednesday will help his quest -- a United Nations report showed that recent U.S. and British raids on Iraq damaged schools, hospitals, grain warehouses and water supplies; while the Washington Post reported that U.N. weapons inspectors may have violated their mandate by acting on behalf of U.S. intelligence.

So Saddam is repeating his call for rebellion against pro-Western Arab governments. Many of those governments are not particularly popular at home, and Saddam hopes to get them into trouble over their Iraq policy, says MacLeod. Expect to see him extend a hand to them as the summit draws closer. Which means itll take more than U.S. air superiority to win the battle of the no-fly zones.