The Fable of the Foolish Leader

Once there was a foolish ruler. He was not wise and, because he had become ruler not through his strengths and wisdom but by the underhanded dealings and political machinations of his cronies, he was uncertain and uncomfortable in leadership. He wanted to feel certain and comfortable.
One night he had a prophetic dream. In this dream, he learned that a man named Hussein would be his undoing. He learned that the coming of this man would mean the foolish leader's grip on power would loosen and that he would tumble into much deserved obscurity. The foolish ruler woke from his dream in high spirits, he knew exactly who this man, Hussein was! In fact, Hussein had already moved against his family and the foolish leader was all too ready to retaliate against his enemy. But how? This was a difficult problem since even the foolish leader knew that he could not simply eliminate Hussein without some sort attempt at justification.
Then a great and terrible thing occurred, the country was attacked. The attack was so unexpected and vicious that the entire country felt enormous fear. Although the foolish leader did not see it at once, when his most trusted advisor explained it to him, he saw that this was an ideal opportunity. It was not a great stretch to connect this awful attack to the man Hussein! Here was exactly the justification he needed and the great fear of the citizens opened them to any explanation that quelled their terror and gave them some way to act.
The foolish leader made war. He sent bombs, tanks, and many young people to Hussein's country. They killed thousands and wounded many more others. The deaths and the injuries to the body and mind of the citizens, and to the soldiers on both sides were catastrophic and brutal.
Then, to the foolish leader's great joy, Hussein was found, hiding and cowering. He was captured and killed. The foolish leader smiled at his trusted advisors, and they smiled back at him. It had been accomplished.
He had waged war, he had drained his coffers of money, he had caused his country's name to lose respect in the wide world, the urgent and complex problems that he'd ignored in order to focus on the death of Hussein had grown in scope and danger, and the loss of several thousand lives somewhat dimmed his accomplishment. But he had killed Hussein!
Then one day, with his country deep in debt, and the war, which he had predicted would take little more than a month, raging into it's 8th year, the foolish leader heard something that caused his blood to chill and his poor brain to whirl in confusion. It was the name, Hussein.
Now the foolish leader, because he read little, and listened even less to the voices of the wide world outside his country, had not understood that the name Hussein is a common and revered one in many lands. He did not understand that it is as common, and held by as many different worthy and unworthy people as the name George, for instance. And here it was again.
A name borne by a young man from his own country no less! And it seemed that this young man might become the new ruler. The foolish leader was anxious. He was ready to give up leadership, he'd never particularly enjoyed it, the decisions were never as simple as he liked.
Yet he had hoped to retire with the gratitude and blessings of his grateful people. He looked for his most trusted advisor and finding him only after a long search, asked for his counsel. His advisor turned to him with a cold smile and said, “Fortunes have turned sir, I assume that you have prepared for this day, and that you are as insulated against the coming cold as I am. If you are, we will meet again in a secure place.” And then the advisor vanished through an unseen door. He had always been rather secretive.

The foolish ruler walked away sadly to pack. And later, as he watched the young man named Hussein trumpeted into office by an adoring people, and as he flew over his capitol for the last time, he puzzled.
Where had his trusted advisor gone? Who was the real Hussein? What had happened to the pet goat?