Most recently, the assassination of the rebels' military leader, General Abdul Fatah Younis, was treated as though suddenly the entire campaign had been a mistake and the National Transitional Council was a useless rabble of amateurs and Islamists. Then there was the tired old bogeyman of al-Qaeda lurking in the wings. In Britain, at least, it hasn't been difficult to detect that old malaise of willing failure from success. There will be plenty more of that in the weeks and months to come.

Here's another prediction. Libyans will make a decent if messy fist of muddling through after Gaddafi and they will be able to manage without Western armies or peacekeepers. They will be best served by assistance from organisations like the UN and World Bank. After Gaddafi's doling out of all those petrodollars to African leaders, the African Union is discredited. Thus amid the predictable reaction to Gaddafi's fall, came the comment from Kenya's assistant foreign minister Richard Onyonka that the Colonel will be remembered for the "very positive things" he achieved in office. That's not how Libyans will remember him.

It is all very well saying that we must learn from Iraq and Afghanistan in Libya, but the real lesson from those two wars is not that there should be greater or lesser engagement with the tribes or no demobilisation of the army or a more realistic timetable for elections or a host of other items on a policymaker's checklist. It is quite simply that the West is lousy at boots-on-the-ground intervention. It is far more impressive as a trading force. The return of international business will play a more significant role than any number of Western experts or foreign soldiers in rebuilding a country that has the potential to be a North African Dubai (pessimists prefer a Somalia in waiting).

It is too much to hope for, of course, but if things can't be entirely quiet on the North African front just yet, a spot of silence from all the doomsayers and gloom-mongers would be extremely welcome.