WASHINGTON — To understand what is happening now in the Middle East, it may be helpful to remember the dead cat. That was a favorite metaphor for Secretary of State James A. Baker III as he shuttled around the region in 1991 trying to negotiate a complicated deal. With each recalcitrant player, Baker would threaten to “leave the dead cat” at their door — in other words, to make sure they were the ones blamed if the whole thing fell apart. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Time