To stand down or step up? ONLY hours after the shock and awe bombardment of Baghdad started, 10 years ago this week, those of us working in the foreign minister's office were excited about information Saddam Hussein's palace had been hit and reports he was injured, possibly seriously. None of us was in any doubt about the US-led force's ability to swiftly overwhelm the Iraqi army. But the sooner defeat or surrender came, the less blood would be spilled. Those early high hopes of a Saddam surrender proved elusive, but the campaign took Baghdad within weeks.