Saddam fashions himself such a savior, the new Saladin to wrest the holy land from the crusaders--in this case Israel, the only non-Islamic and democratic enclave in all of the Middle East.

The disturbing yet unsurprising reality is that much of the Arab world views Hussein in this way, too. While the leadership of most Arab nations have denounced Saddam and would gladly see his power crushed, many of the people in these same countries regard him as a hero. And Saddam will command even more fanatical devotion if he emerges from the current crisis with what can in any remote sense be termed a victory.

Saddam's wisespread appeal to the Arab masses isn't limited to his his threat to wipe out Israel with poison gas; he is enormously popular for his thuggery against the rich and selfish Arab patricians of Kuwait.

But the desperate West Bank parents who have in such large numbers named their newborns "Saddam Hussein" have unwittingly branded a whole new generation of Palestinians with yet another badge of shame, for if there is one thing Israel cannot allow, it is a state of Saddam devotees existing on its doorstep.

THE West cannot allow this scenario either. If Saddam becomes the next Saladin, he will throw the entire Middle East into a chaos that the rest of the world will be unable to ignore. The specter of catastrophic war involving Iraq, Israel and superpowers will be at hand.

The only answer to this threat is to destroy it. The task is the permanent military enfeeblement and political humbling of the current regime. Whether Saddam Hussein himself remains in office after his nation's emasculation is not crucial, although history shows that devastating military losses do not bode well for the life expectancy of Arab leaders.

Iraq's chemical and nuclear weapons programs must be decimated to the last installation. Foolish European nations like West Germany and France must then be compelled never again to aid in the development of such potentially disastrous weapons--in Iraq or in any other unstable or aggressive country.

Saddam's intelligence and command and control centers must likewise be reduced to rubble, thereby weakening his ability to plan and wage even a conventional war.

Despite several attempts, no Pan-Arab superpower has emerged in modern history. The United States should make sure that Iraq does not become the first.