SADDAM HUSSEIN

, and acquire long-term influence in the Middle East. But as much as Russia owes to Saddam for this boost in Russian prestige, Saddam has recovered in Russian support. Russian diplomacy gives Saddam Hussein a friend on the United Nations Security Council and validates his claims to reasonable behavior in the face of American intransigence.

Russia’s relations with Iraq may be much closer than its diplomats will publicly admit. The Washington Post has reported that United Nations inspectors have documentary evidence of Russian shipments of fermentation tanks and other equipment used in the production of biological weapons. Russian and Iraqi intelligence services are said to collaborate closely to manipulate and deceive international weapons inspectors. The former chairman of the UN inspection team,