[alloysteel]

It should, in fact, provide a LOT of hope. Here is a nation of people, who have lived under a relentlessly oppressive regime for nearly 30 years, and once the opportunity came to throw off that tyranny, they knew at once that they did not want to go back. Nobody is asking for Saddam to return.

More importantly, the Shi'ites may prove to be as sturdy as the Kurds in their faith in the intervention of the coalition forces. Only the Sunnis, with their ideological and theological ties to the Wahhabi sect of Saudi Arabia, seem to resent the presence of the liberators of their tormented land.

Did the United States, and George Bush in particular, do the right thing in ousting Saddam from power? No question about it. Iraq has the potential of becoming our strongest ally of all among the Muslim countries, and is definitely our opening wedge in moderating the whole Middle East turmoil.

[ChewedGum]

I concur. That these kinds of responses are being seen a mere 3-4 months after being under 30 years of repressions is incredible. My only fear at the start was that the people would not be able to handle freedom and democracy after their years of conditioning. It appears that freedom is an easy habit to get in to.

Gum