So Mr Rumsfeld has lost his job as Secretary of State for Defence, to be replaced very quickly by a Bush (Snr) apparatchik from the CIA. At least Mr Rumsfeld was a "known known" not an "unknown known" and at least he has a sense of humour as well as a personality, quoting Churchill's famous statement about criticism (that he had never had lack of it) in his departing speech. Mr Cheney is still there and the Baker report will presumably provide Bush (Jnr) with the necessary smokescreen to redesign his Iraq policy and get his troops out.

The Democrats appear well chuffed that they have now got a majority in Congress and a working majority in the Senate (assuming the two independents vote with the Democrats). There is a new lady leader of the Senate, a no-nonsense mother of five from California, who stands by her statement that Bush (Jnr) is a "dangerous incompetent". Well there's diplomacy for you! In spite of her frankness her first apppointment today was lunch with Bush (Jnr) - one presumes over a plate or two dreamt up by Hell's Kitchen.

And everybody wants ideas on a postcard to solve the Iraq problem. Well, here goes, for what its worth. Lets take a scientific approach. Careful study of Iraq over the past few years indicates a direct correlation between the amount of trouble there and the number of people there.

The more people, the more trouble. So logically the answer is, I suggest, self-evident, and very easy to implement. Get everyone out, starting with the Iraqis (Sunni's, Shiites and Kurds first), then all that remains will be the terrorists, the Americans and the Brits. Well the latter should be capable of removing the terrorists to some suitable island in the Carribean, and then can go home themselves. That leaves Iraq empty and presumably very peaceful. Get the UN to declare it a "no-go" area and when all its inhabitants have been (say) a hundred years in exile, they might be allowed to return, in dribs and drabs so as not to upset the wild life.

The West would have to learn how to do without Iraqi oil of course and put up with thousands of new Iraqi restaurants all over the place but violence would be overall much less than if everyone stayed there killing each other and at least most of the Iraqis of all sects would get some relief from the incessant murder and mayhem they now endure. The only people allowed in Iraq would be parties of tourists and the odd wandering TV crew.

And in this craziest of all crazy worlds my final suggestion is that we make Saddam Hussein a Tourist Guide in his deserted country. No point in executing him so that Bush (Jnr) can get a few ratings points. The American voters saw through that one George. Just give him a frayed uniform and a battered cap and pile of faded leaflets exhorting the beauty of his deserts and ruins. Now thats what I mean by a sense of humour.