The greatest surprise about HMAS win is Washington's surprise. The US administration was proven wrong over and over again. Consider the following:

• the lack of intelligence prior to the Iraq war,
• the lack of planning after the take-over of Iraq,
• the lack of planning for the aftermath of Katrina,
• the shambles in the wake of the implementation of the Medicare Prescription Drug Plan.

Now add to it the surprise about the results of the Palestinian elections.