An interesting perspective from Mr. Fisk:
snip
Secondly, and far more importantly, there is a fundamental misunderstanding between the American occupation authorities in Iraq and the people whose country they are occupying. The United States believes that the entire resistance to America's proconsulship of Iraq is composed of "remnants" of Saddam's followers, "dead-enders", "bitter-enders"--they have other phrases to describe them. Their theory is that once the Hussein family is decapitated, the resistance will end.
But the guerrillas who are killing US troops every day are also being attacked by a growing Islamist Sunni movement which never had any love for Saddam. Much more importantly, many Iraqis were reluctant to support the resistance for fear that an end to American occupation would mean the return of the ghastly old dictator.
If he and his sons are dead, the chances are that the opposition to the American-led occupation will grow rather than diminish--on the grounds that with Saddam gone, Iraqis will have nothing to lose by fighting the Americans.
more...
http://www.counterpunch.com/fisk07232003.html