Here's a story full of hope and optimism. Zainab Al-Suwaij witnessed the 1991 uprising in Karbala and ,for a few days, tasted freedom in Iraq. That uprising was, of course, crushed and she escaped with her family to Jordan and then eventually settled in the US. Zainab was also briefly present in Kuwait during the occupation and witnessed the brutality and looting firsthand.

On Friday, she was among a group of Iraqi exiles who met with President Bush - though I wonder if he should have met with them much earlier - and she looks forward to seeing Iraq free from Saddam's evil grip.