The blind may lead, but only until November, 2004 By Edith Valentine For The News-Chronicle Before the Iraq war started, Saddam Hussein had already laid out his plans for the fight ahead. Unable to match U.S. military might, he decided to offer minimal resistance as U.S. forces moved toward Baghdad. By pulling us swiftly into the city, he achieved a more level playing field, and urban warfare began. Bush erred in May when he declared the war over; for Saddam Hussein the war had just begun. Ignoring all warnings from military and civilian experts, Bush and the war hawks in his administration threw their lot in with Almad Chalabi, head of the Iraqi government-in-exile. Chalabi promised a piece of cake and flowers. Instead, U.S. forces found a death trap. The United Nations and the rest of the international community refused to follow Bush to war. They saw much unfinished business in Afghanistan where the situation now deteriorates daily. Busg bit off more than he could chew; our forces are now choking on it. Had Bush been less arrogant, the result might have been more international cooperation and fewer U.S. casualties. November, 2004, is the U.S. electorate's best chance to put a wiser, more far-sighted, less ideologically driven into the White House.