As the Pentagon prepares for a possible invasion of Iraq, military planners say the most complicated problem they face is the chance that President Saddam Hussein might use chemical or biological weapons against American forces and their allies.

Military analysts count the ways to restrain Iraq during the beat-down.

It is a task of limiting damage, rather than preventing any response. But I think the analysts are missing something; Iraq will release these weapons, even if it means only local delivery within Iraqi borders. How long will these chemical and biological agents remain potent, once released? A land that is wholly unfit for living could become a lawless haven for the likes of bin Laden. The probability would be low that the US could establish an interim Iraqi government promptly, because the entire region might have to be evacuated for years. Where will we set up the refugee camps for 23 million Iraqis, if Saddam is allowed to use his weapons to make his country uninhabitable?