For President Bush and his war cabinet, the events in Iraq yesterday morning were welcome news. As Iraqis in portions of Baghdad took to the streets to greet American troops and topple symbols of the declining regime, it became clear to both them and the world that Saddam Hussein's reign as dictator in Iraq will soon be over.

Officials involved with the military operation have been quick to remind the public that the war is not yet over. But while the fighting in portions of Baghdad and northern Iraq continues, there are equally significant challenges in Iraq that, with the fall of Baghdad, the Bush administration must begin to address.

In the wake of coalition military successes in the past three weeks, a power vacuum had developed in several Iraqi cities. Reports of heavy looting in Basra and Baghdad indicate that there has been a complete breakdown of law and order.

Additionally, ongoing raids of government buildings by Iraqi civilians in several cities might lead to the destruction of useful information, possibly including details regarding Saddam's weapons of mass destruction.

While roughly 18,000 Special Republican Guard forces were supposed to defend Baghdad, a majority of them appear to have "faded" back into the civilian population. Analysts caution that the intentions of these forces are unknown, and so the possibility of asymmetrical fighting remains.

Of specific concern are Saddam's elite Fedayeen forces, who before the war frequently terrorized civilians. Until coalition forces restore order in Iraq, the Fedayeen might continue such actions, further hurting an already battered population.

Of equal importance to addressing these security threats, however, are efforts to relieve humanitarian suffering. A spokesperson for the International Committee of the Red Cross said yesterday that the situation in Baghdad was too chaotic to allow for the distribution of much-needed aid. There is particular concern that hospitals in Baghdad, already overburdened with casualties from the fighting, are running out of basic supplies. If some form of order cannot be restored in these cities soon, this situation will likely worsen.

Current U.S. humanitarian relief efforts in southern Iraq are small in scale. And though Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld was correct in reminding reporters yesterday that the humanitarian situation in Iraq has been developing for several years, the fact remains that addressing it is now the United States' responsibility.

Every day without adequate water, power or food for the civilian population contributes to Iraqi unease and distrust of the American military presence in their country. More intense efforts must be made to quell the civil unrest and to deliver aid to those who need it most.

The collapse of Saddam's powerbase in Baghdad has raised numerous questions about the immediate future of Iraq's government. Unfortunately, post-war political planning has become the latest in an ongoing series of power struggles between the Pentagon and State Department. While senior State Department officials cautioned against allowing Iraqi exiles to play a significant role in any new government, both the Department of Defense and Vice President Cheney have supported such efforts.

In a sign that the State Department has lost this internal debate, the U.S. military recently airlifted a group of Iraqi exiles, led by Ahmed Chalabi, into southern Iraq. Chalabi, head of the Iraqi National Congress, plans to march to Baghdad and hopes to have a large role in any new Iraqi government. There is concern, however, that Chalabi and other exiles will not be accepted by the Iraqi public.

Though many Iraqis are glad Saddam is gone, they are worried about their nation's political future. Additionally, several Iraqis told reporters that losing the war has been a humiliating experience for their nation.

Any American attempt to install exiles with vastly different socioeconomic backgrounds from most Iraqis could further this sense of humiliation and might be perceived by the Iraqi people as an attempt by the United States to manipulate their new government.

It is understandable that the Pentagon, which will be in charge of ensuring the peace in Iraq, has asserted some control over future government planning in Iraq. But Bush must also involve State Department personnel in these deliberations because they, unlike some military and civilian defense officials, have significant diplomatic service in the region and thus a more nuanced understanding of the political forces at play throughout the Middle East.

Former National Security Advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski noted yesterday that the United States must begin to "translate its military victory into a political success." Involving the international community in policing and especially humanitarian operations will legitimize American post-war efforts in Iraq.

Additionally, it would help address the tremendous financial cost of both maintaining a military presence in and rebuilding the government and economic infrastructure of Iraq.

An Iraqi, upon the liberation of Baghdad, commented to reporters, "I'm 49 but I've never lived a single day. Now I can start living." By tackling these military, political and humanitarian challenges in a thoughtful way, the United States can help ensure that the life that this man and other Iraqis have after the war is a positive one.