The Democrat victory shows that the American people want changes in their country's policy towards Iraq. Many lingering questions remain. Will the United States withdraw from Iraq? What will the new American stance be? Will defence spending continue as it is?

Endless questions keep popping up. Essentially, however, it is all about staying the course or calling for a change of strategy.

What happens on the ground in Iraq will be a crucial factor in US plans. At the moment there is an urgent need to make a hard assessment of the situation. One key issue is the ability of the Iraqi government to protect its people and maintain order under the shadow of a violent armed insurgency.

Of course, the Iraqi court decision to hang the former dictator Saddam Hussein has boosted the morale of the government and a section of the Iraqi people. It has demonstrated that, even in the most violent and extreme circumstances, the administration can keep the country under some degree of control at least, and, importantly, show that it wants to maintain the Rule of Law. However, there is no guarantee that the verdict will help to stabilise Iraq, as it could have the opposite effect.

What is positive is that, with the resignation of die-hard Defence Minister Donald Rumsfeld, the future US position in Iraq might be afforded a fresh start, because there is lighter militaristic baggage to deal with.

President George Bush has decided to appoint former CIA director Robert Gates as the new head of Defence. Bush decided to let his close colleague Rumsfeld go willingly because of the poll defeat. In the next two years, Bush will find out that the whole legacy of his presidency will be decided by the outcome of the Iraq situation.

While one can expect pending change in United States foreign policy towards Iraq and the Middle East, the rest of the world will be business as usual for the US.

Closer to home, what kind of impact will the mid-term outcome have on Thailand? It should be very little. Both Democrat and Republican lawmakers have no quarrel with Thais. But it is possible that if the political situation in Thailand remains as it is, stronger words regarding "democracy" from the Democrat-dominated Congress will be heard.

Several key Democrat lawmakers have expressed disappointment over the September 19 military coup in Bangkok. They want to see Thailand return to normalcy as soon as possible, with martial law lifted and a free and fair poll held by September 30, 2007. So, it is imperative that the Thai authorities concerned keep their word. This will be the only way to maintain the country's solid friendship with the United States.

Regarding the future of the Thai-US free trade agreement, it is possible there will be some delay as new changes are taking place in the US Congress. There is speculation that the new chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee will be Democrat senator Jospeh Biden of Delaware, and that Democrat senator John Kerry of Massachusetts will be the chairman of the Senate Sub Committee on East Asia and the Pacific. Biden has been to Thailand and has close contact with the Thai Embassy in Washington.

In the next two years, President George Bush will have a tougher time getting approval for his gung-ho policies in Iraq and the rest of the world. He has the Democrats to deal with this time. The problems in Iraq will eventually be left to the Iraqi people themselves, whether they are ready or not.

Some Americans thought their country was doing so much for the future of a democratic Iraq - but a significant proportion of the Iraqi people have not shown any appreciation. So be it. The US should pull out of Iraq now and save some lives.