Walczak, Lee, Crock, Stan, Dwyer, Paula, Capell, Kerry, Ewing, Jack, and Cohn, Laura
In the end, the United States-led invasion of Iraq, now reaching its zenith with an occupied Baghdad largely intact, was a unique 21st century production--part high-tech war, part hunkering down in the face of determined guerrilla attacks. America's weapon of choice was the satellite-guided munition, Iraq's the rocket-propelled grenade. As 'BusinessWeek' went to press on Apr. 9, Saddam Hussein's fate was unknown. But despite some last-ditch resistance from urban militias, one thing was clear in a chaotic Baghdad: Scarcely three weeks into a furious U.S.-British blitz, victory in Iraq is assured, and it will be faster, cheaper, and more decisive than many imagined. Military officials caution that it could take months to secure the far reaches of the country. U.S. President George W. Bush is fortunate that a war that began so inauspiciously on the diplomatic front unfolded with lethal precision on the battlefield. But now he must cope with the fallout from America's intervention -- in the region, and among deeply estranged allies. In the enormously challenging days ahead, the President must prove that the postwar world can be made safer and more prosperous after the last Saddam statue is pulled down. The U.S. must secure the peace in Iraq -- an uneasy period that could be marked by suicide attacks, car bombings, and ambushes. It must promote democracy in the region, despite cries from the Arab Street that the war was inhumane. It must repair ties to allies and a collaterally damaged United Nations and NATO. INSETS: A Dangerous Postwar World;Who Will Build a New Iraq?.