I read some years ago a long article about Saddam Hussein. Amongst other things, the author stressed the importance Saddam gives to the way he will be perceived by history (hoping he will be considered as the equal of say, Saladin), and wrote he was more interested in what will be said about him 500 years down from now than in what will be said next year. So, perhaps he views himself as a sort of hero and intend to fight to the bitter end rather than flee Irak.
Since I assume he isn't a complete idiot (or else he wouldn't have managed to take and keep power) , and knows what fate he's facing, it's an explanation which makes sense. If he was only interested in his own well-being, I suppose he would have fled his country (of course there still was a risk that he would be eventually tried/assasinated if he choose to flee....I don't know how one could estimate his chances to live a long and peaceful life in this case)
I don’t believe he underestimated American firepower. I believe he was caught by surprise by the first strike. He must know he cannot survive this. He must know that “world opinion” will NOT stop Bush.
I suspect he intends to leave Iraq at the time of his choosing. However, he may have waited too long.
He’s teetered on the brink and sailed through before - Iran, Kuwait, 12 years of massaging the U.N. along - I think he has been conditioned by past experience to (unrealistically) think he can slide past the scrapes.