> > Well, duh! He has a billion dollars in cash and possibly some really ugly weapons. That part of the world is infested with terrorists-for-hire, and he is mad as heck at the US and the UK. I think it matters a lot.
>
> Well, maybe, but the impression I've got (not that that carries any weight at all, but still) is that Saddam fled Iraq in quite a rush. It's very difficult to carry a nuclear missile around up your jumper, so it's unlikely that he has immense amounts of weaponry on him. His personal fortune could turn out to be a problem, but it wouldn't be surprising if any bank accounts he holds in a Western country have been instantly frozen. Moreover, none of the countries surrounding him were too happy at having a homicidal maniac with a big army living right next door, so he's unlikely to have too much of a following wherever he goes. That said, he could turn out to be an iconic figurehead, capable of whipping up support wherever he can find the chance...we just don't know.
>
> On balance, though, I can't help feeling that the chances of him getting any meaningful influence now are very remote.
>
> Si-"Unless that's what he *wants* us to believe"-gi

Well, according to the newspapers, Saddam is currently running around with $1bn in cash. That might buy some friends...

wintermute