In the Muslim world, Hussein will be fondly remembered as the standard-bearer who ran into a force much greater than his own. There'll be a considerable affection and admiration for him, despite his poor showing.
In the non-Muslim world, he will be a symbol, much like Hitler and Stalin, of an unbridled tyrant who indulged his ambitions, who let his own machismo determine the destiny of millions of people, and who eventually ended up destroying both them and himself.
His survival largely depends on decisions made in Washington, and so far the signs are that we'll try to make it difficult for him.
