I hope I'm not sick

I hope I’m not sick of mind, but I’m wondering why the press has given so little (okay – zero) thought to the possibility that Mr. Hussein will take hostage the United Nations arms inspectors in Iraq. I mean, with the U.S. saber-rattling, the Arab nations not being nice, and Mr. Hussein feeling backed in a corner, why not just take these people hostage? He’ll provoke the coming war, of course. But he’ll also start an international effort to mediate the terms and influence international opinion. I hope that this does not come to pass, but I’m sure that the inspectors have been warned of such a potential calamity.