It appears, fair readers, that the Bush administration may have overestimated dissatisfaction with Saddam in Iraq. They've forgotten the old maxim about sticking with the devil you know; people prefer to be ruled badly by their own than even well by others. Just ask the people on the streets of any US territory (St. Thomas, Puerto Rico, Guam) and you'll find resentment alongside prosperity; and we've “owned” those places for a long time now.

We seem to have forgotten the real lessons of Vietnam, among them:

1) When you need to distinguish between friendly civilians and hostile militia mingled with civilians to accomplish your mission, you're already hosed.

2) When you have secured an area, don't forget to tell the enemy.