Crispy, Saddam is a ruthless tyrant who has no common sense. You ask why would he risk war with the US? because he's disillusioned in thinking that he can win. It's the same rhetoric that Saddam displayed the first time when the United States kicked his arse out of Kuwait. When a ruler doesn't hesitate to kill thousands of his own country men, in my opinion, qualifies one as a tyrant. However, I will ride the fence post as to if we should go to war with him. (Just not sure of Bush's true intentions yet)