Saddam

"What does Saddam Hussein see in himself that no one else in the world seems to see? The answer is perhaps best revealed by the intimate details of the Iraqi leader's daily life"

On the eve of Saddam's interview with Dan Rather - and almost certainly of war - I thought it important to direct my readers to a profile of Saddam that might provide a good base on which to judge his public behavior and the abovementioned interview.  In May of last year, Mark Bowden, author of Black Hawk Down (the book, not the movie), presented the most comprehensive profile I've yet read of Saddam Hussein.  I've found this article (which, incidentally, solely convinced me to become an Atlantic subscriber, rather than continuing to buy it at newsstands) to be immensely useful in understanding the situation we find ourselves in today. 

I'm sure CBS will replay the interview, and if not, the important bits are available at the above URL.