Finally, it is 'over'. I don't know what the future holds for Iraq, for middle east, for the greater world. Unless US spectacularly messes up, they should be able to build big time on the happiness of the people on the streets of Baghdad today. As one my colleagues said, the economy should get a boost from all the 'reconstruction' efforts. Oil prices should come down.

I am also very glad that someone dear to us whom the corps was sending to Kuwait next week, no longer needs to go there. War is hell not only on the civilians on the war zone and the soldiers, it is psychological hell for the old parents, wives, lovers watching from far away.

But today, from one rather jaded Asian in another corner of the world, let me just offer my good wishes to the people of Iraq.

I hope the US administration doesn't screw up, even though deep in my heart I know that history of US intervention in Asia (except in Japan) is a history of screw ups. I worry that the long term impact of this US intervention in Iraq may be disastrous for USA, middle east, the economy, the fragile world peace (non US western media shares the unease). But as I indicated in my previous posts, no one deserves Saddam. I dont have a great deal of faith in this administration's foreign policy or its humanity. But who knows, something good may actually come out of it.