<p>WASHINGTON — The United States and some of its Arab allies have begun a quiet effort to defuse the Iraq crisis by persuading Saddam Hussein to yield power and go into exile.</p>
<p>An initial overture came in August, when Qatar's foreign minister suggested to Saddam that he consider stepping down to avoid a devastating war with the United States. Saddam angrily told the Qatari diplomat to leave, according to three Arab diplomats.</p>