The US-led colonialisation of Iraq may have officially ended on June 28, but the Americans are not about to leave ( pix ). For sure, the armies will remain.

The coloniser has handed over power to an interim Iraqi government headed by an ex-American agent. A general election will follow (in January) which will allow the Iraqis to breathe the air of democracy. But, the Americans expect nothing less than a pro-American regime to be set in place.

To the Iraqis, the promise of democracy is nothing but hypocrisy in the absence of true freedom of choice in a country already torn by war and insurgencies.

In view of the presence of "fundamentalist Iraqis" - or groups opposed to the occupation and certainly a power to be reckoned with - the US can never accept a democratically elected government that opposes its policies.