Iraqis protest U.S. occupation: The final rising seems near, sans any victory

Iraq has now lived four years of brutal U.S. occupation, or a civil war to be precise, and has seen enough bloodshed since the toppling of Saddam's 20-foot statue in Baghdad's central Firdous Square.

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However, things have changed since then and today Baghdad, under curfew, marks the fourth anniversary of the fall of the capital to U.S. forces. Iraqis, by the thousands, have streamed to the city of Najaf for a big anti-U.S. protest called by fiery cleric Moqtada al-Sadr. These protest marches, a kind of democratic novelty in Baghdad, is about law and order, jobs, and the shape of the government based on fear and distrust.

Pounded by the shock and awe of U.S. attack, public opinion in Iraq supports withdrawal of the forces. Washington's dream of imposing democracy in the Middle East has become a lottery of lawlessness and explosive politics that could go any way.

By losing the trust of the Iraqi people, the Bush administration has already lost the war. But as U.S. President George W. Bush is sending 30,000 more troops to Iraq, mainly to Baghdad for the security crackdown, which is seen as a last chance to avert all-out civil war. It is more likely now that we will see more US public on the streets carrying anti-war slogans.

The protests also reveal the paucity of good options now before the United States. Keeping U.S. troops in Iraq will only provoke fiercer and more widespread resistance, but withdrawing them too soon could lead to more unrest. The Bush administration is in a rough position. It wanted to withdraw in a dignified manner, asserting some impression of victory but, this extraordinarily unpopular war has eroded its credibility at home and abroad.

Checkmate near, all pawns down

The Bush administration is left with the last choice - either make things worse slowly or do it quickly. One thing is sure, U.S. forces will ultimately have to pack up their bags - the repercussions, good or bad, is a different question altogether; it'll certainly be bad and it wasn't good from last so many years either.

U.S. still has a last chance to save its face and the main problem lies here - 'saving own face' and keeping peace and democracy at the backburner. Even today, all US perpetrators of war in Iraq and the world community are more concentrating on what US has done or should do, but what is missing is how to empower Iraqis and make them think of a better future of their own. The trust is lost, the war is over, let Iraqis fight the coming battles now, they don't want me or you to put balm on their rotten wounds.