What this illustrates is that Saddam possesses neither the capacity to defend his regime or threaten others. Iraq is a petty little dictatorship of little consequence or threat to the United States and its interests. This war was over before it began.

To date, we've not witnessed the deployment of any weapons of mass destruction. No wholesale scortched earth policy. There have been mass surrenders by an impotent, badly equipped military. Saddam's "best" effort has been to launch off a handful of scuds only to land harmlessly in the empty desert - hardly weapons of mass destruction. No doubt thousands of Iraqi soldiers have perished at the whims of a cruel and selfish dictator unable to recognize his own insignificance.

One hopes we can get this thing over with quickly. One hopes that the Iraqis holding Baghdad see the futility in armed resistance to a vastly superior military force. One hopes that peace and stability can be re-established quickly upon cessation of hostilities. One hopes the rest of the billion-strong Islamic world are able to see past their fury and recognize that its people like Saddam who oppress them rather than people like us.