Another misunderstanding of Iraq by the arrogant amateurs in Washington.

Argument There also seems to have been a misunderstanding about the nature of President Saddam's government. Though his ruling Baath party came to power through a military coup in 1968, it was never a classic military regime where the army holds power. President Saddam, despite his military uniforms, had no formal military training. He has always depended on his security services, the Baath party and a complex network of clan and tribal alliances to keep him in power.

These were the sinews of his rule, and by deliberately not capturing cities at the beginning of the invasion, the US and Britain ensured that he remained in control of the vast majority of the Iraqi population. The failure to take a city like Basra early in the campaign also meant, as one Kurdish commander put it, there were "no visible coalition gains to show the Iraqi people".

This does not mean that President Saddam is going to win. His regime was always deeply unpopular among Iraqis. His political strengths are also his military weaknesses. The Fedayeen Saddam may be able to stop deserters by shooting them in the head, but it has failed to make the Iraqi regular army fight. American and British casualties have been very low. Effective guerrillas like the Chechens or Kurdish peshmerga would have chopped the long Allied supply columns to pieces. Sniping by Baath militia is more of an irritation.