Jubilant at the overthrow of Saddam Hussein but deeply suspicious of U.S. motives, some Iraqi people and other Muslims in the region say they will resist foreign occupation. Many people, including intellectuals, are angry about what happened in Baghdad's largest square, where throngs of people were celebrating the toppling of the immense statue of Saddam. But, before the statue was pulled down, a U.S Marine symbolically covered its head with the U.S. flag.

Washington has nominated retired U.S. General Jay Garner to organize reconstruction and humanitarian assistance operations and to install a civilian administration that would prepare for the eventual creation of an interim government by the Iraqis.

Most Iraqis are opposed to a U.S. occupation of Iraq. They reject replacing one dictator with another dictator. They say they want a government run by Iraqis.

When asked about the question of legitimacy and United Nations supervision, the UN says it is still premature to start talking about any UN role in postwar Iraq, as it is unclear when and how the war will end.

As soon as it became obvious that the U.S. intended to overthrow Saddam, Iraqi exile Ahmad Chalabi, the leader of the Iraqi National Congress (INC), who is the favorite of a certain faction of the U.S. government for a prominent position in Iraq, was introduced to the world by the Western media.

The INC is an umbrella organization, nominally embracing most Iraqi opposition groups including Islamists, communists, and nationalists but plagued by internal divisions.

Chalabi, a millionaire businessman from a wealthy family, is a pro-Western former banker with strong connections in Washington. The election of U.S. President George W. Bush gave a boost to Chalabi, with the U.S. Congress later pledging $97 million to fund the INC.

However, Chalabi was sentenced to 22 years of hard labor in Jordan for bank fraud and embezzlement, which has raised doubts about his credibility in the U.S. State Department, which has questions over his organization's accounting practices. But Chalabi's pro-Western stance has gained him the support of conservatives in the Bush administration, notably at the Pentagon, and the powerful U.S. oil lobby.

It was believed that post-war nationalism would prevent early access to Iraqi oilfields, which are some of the only significant reserves not yet open to commercial capital. However, it now seems that lucrative contracts will soon be signed to develop Iraqi oil reserves, which are the world's second largest.

Chalabi recently took up residence in the Kurdish-held enclave in northern Iraq and looks set to bid for a role in Iraq when the U.S. gives the signal.

Officials at the U.S. State Department and the Pentagon have not hesitated in devising their own definitions of terrorism, weapons of mass destruction, and U.S. national interests. To them it doesn't matter in what part of the world their self-defined interests lie or how much misery protecting those interests will bring to the local people. What matters to them is protecting their so-called interests and achieving their objectives by any means. The U.S. internalized and began implementing "the end justifies means" principle long ago.

It seems that the hawks in the White House are following the expansionist path tread by the former Soviet Union during its heyday. But they should bear in mind the fact that if they follow "the might is right" doctrine, then they should be prepared for its inevitable backfire, which will be caused by U.S. expansionism, unilateralism, and the desire to establish a new world order.

The legitimization of the indiscriminate use of force is a very dangerous development, both for the people in the region and the U.S. itself. It will result in the spread of terrorism around the world and in particular in the United States -- the very pretext which the U.S. used to start the military campaigns against Afghanistan and Iraq.

People all over the region are angry about the U.S. military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. They are wondering if real governments or puppet governments are going to come to power. They are also waiting to see who will be next.

In an interview with the ***Los Angeles Times*** published on Thursday, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell gave a warning to Syria, Iran, and other states that he claims are supporting terrorism and seeking to acquire weapons of mass destruction, saying, "The world is changing." Well, the world is changing. The might is right doctrine will inevitably backfire.