Fact: Bin Laden loathed Saddam Hussein every bit as much as Bush, and is undoubtedly rejoicing at his overthrow, and the opportunities for jihad against the occupation this has provided.

Fact: in various ways already Iraq is sigificantly less secularised than it had continued to be under Saddam (eg marriage and divorce are being pulled back from civil courts to Islamic law).

Fact: pressures on women to go veiled and keep out of public life are greater than before, and are building.

It could well be that when things finally settle down Iraq will indeed be a better place to live for ordinary people than it has been for many years. But it's early days, and it's an open question whether it will end up that way or not. The road to hell is paved with good intentions, they say.

"When an unclean spirit goes out of a person it roams through arid regions searching for rest but finds none.

Then it says, 'I will return to my home from which I came.' But upon returning, it finds it empty, swept clean, and put in order.

Then it goes and brings back with itself seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they move in and dwell there; and the last condition of that person is worse than the first."