I have been against the war from the beginning, largely because I didn't know whether to believe the Americans' claims that the people wanted to be "liberated". The first weeks of the war seemed to confirm that the Iraqis saw the coalition forces as invaders rather than liberators. Now, perhaps, the people are confident enough that the end of Saddam's rule is almost here, and can allow themselves to rejoice openly.

But now the real trouble begins. There is nothing in place to replace the ruling government. Chaos and anarchy will reign. Many more will surely die in the struggle for power among the various nationalist groups. Getting rid of the ruler is not the end of the story, as the Americans are finding in Afghanistan, where they accidentally killed eleven citizens today.