ocr: Hussein ibn Talal Jordan's Cautious King In his younger days, Jordan's King Hussein conveyed something of a daredevil image. He drove race cars, rode spirited horses and piloted his ownjet. aircraft. Yetin reality he is a super- -cautious ruler who has maneuvered shrewdly in the lethal politics of the Middle East to survive on the throne for nearly four decades despite repeated wars and multiple assassination attempts. Thusitseemed a contradiction when he threw caution to the winds and allied himself closely with Saddam Hussein in the Gulf war.. Employing uncharacteristically inflammatory rhet ...