While surfing the net the other day, I came across a few Blogs from Iraq.... on reading I found that most Iraqi were rather pessimistic about the present development in their country and have no love for the occupier....... Cynical comments were made about the occupier presence and the occupier nominated ruling council...They make fun of the nominated leaders waiting for the arrival of Bush at the airport....Quote "The most amusing thing about his visit was watching Chalabi and Talabani jumping up and down at the airport, cheering and clapping as Bush made the rounds" It is funny.....They seem not to like the ruling council at all.... what is happening does not augur well for this so call leaders of the new Iraq.....reading between the line one could sense a sort of unhappiness among the Iraqi...They keep using words such as invader, occupier, Iraq in occupation and so far not a word of appreciation to the Occupier .....Wait a minute....The Blogs...it is a way to express one's opinion....a window of democracy....that is something good happening, in a region where democracy is in its infancy...I think at least they now have the freedom to write whatever they like in the blogs....All are hoping that their country would be independent again....... I felt the pang of sadness reading all those blogs.... I know how they felt because Malaysia was once colonized and occupied by foreign power for years..... until we got our independent in nineteen fifty seven..... No countries like to be colonized or occupied, for what ever reasons and as for us Malaysian we would never allow our country to be colonized again and as such we have to guard our independence with all means at our disposal.......A foreign power can invade a country and occupied or stay but they would only be an unwelcome 'guest' .....,To win the war totally the occupier must win the heart and mind of the local..... One thing that I am sure is that it is not easy to win the heart and mind of the local....It is rather naive to think that the local would love the occupier.... the local for their own survival would cooperate only for their our benefit ....... Personally I am rather pessimist as to the total loyalty of the local..... We Malaysia were not loyal to the colonialist....... That I know for sure... When we were colonized by the British, we only obey orders but in our heart we never like, let alone love the colonialist and I guess the colonialist knew this and that is one of the reasons they eventually gave up and grant us our independence...... Of course we fought for our independence, in our own ways by using our brain rather our brawn....We won eventually...and now we are an independent democratic country, with good governance..... For a country to go on being an independent entity, it leaders and people must act smart... for we all knew too well that other countries are ever willing to re colonized us.... may be not physically... but in many other ways....Malaysian are fortunate that our leaders from the day of our independence till now have act with wisdom, thus have managed to continue to be an independent country in all aspect... Malaysian is the few countries in the world that had managed it finance well, with that it does not borrow unnecessarily or received grant with condition from any countries.......Even in time of crisis, like the ninety eight financial crisis that swept South East Asia, Malaysian leader stood fast and act smart and because of that we have, not only got through the crisis but also has continue to prosper as well...Coming back to the Blogs from Iraq, I hope the Iraqi would learn from this bitter experience and learn from past....be smart my friends...and act with wisdom.... for only that would you be able to regain you country back with honor....and I am sure Iraq like Phoenix would rise from the ashes and became a more powerful and prosperous country in the year to come......InsyAllah.....