WAR ON IRAK

Observer: 'Liberation' is not freedom
Iraqis mistrust the intentions of the West, and a history of failures supports their attitude

The fierce resistance that British and American troops have encountered must have come as a very unpleasant surprise to Tony Blair and George Bush. They assumed Saddam Hussein was so unpopular and isolated that the Iraqi people would welcome the troops as liberators and help them to overthrow his regime.
But the popular uprising has not materialised. However much they detest Saddam's regime, a great many Iraqis view the coalition forces as invaders rather than liberators. Our leaders gravely underestimated the force of Iraqi nationalism.