WHAT A DIFFERENCE A YEAR MAKES

There are many things to complain about in Iraq, and by the time the Orient Express arrived at the Syrian border the Iraqi passengers on board had exhausted most of them.

"Bombings, kidnapping, robbery, unemployment," summarized one weary businessman. "Who'd want to stay here?"

But the mood changed abruptly when Syrian border guards began to evict from the train those unable to afford a bribe.

Iraq may be plagued with violence, but a taste of life in Syria --the last Baathist stronghold and a place with more than a whiff of the old Iraq -- convinces most Iraqis they are better off without the paranoia and corruption of a police state.

The symbolism of the scene at al-Rabia police station was clear.

"It's just like traveling back in time to the old Iraq," muttered another businessmen, Mohammed Ahmed, as the Syrians did their work.

The guards stood next to a huge poster of President Bashar Assad. On the Iraqi side of the border a similar picture of Saddam Hussein has been replaced by a political slogan.

"It makes me realize how far other countries have got to come," Ahmed said....

The train was soon making its way across the plains at a stately 30 mph. The passengers were ushered back to their cabins at the border crossing. On the Iraqi side, customs officials came to politely inquire if any passengers were carrying guns or bombs or looted archeological items.

There was no welcome to Syria. At the border, guards began ejecting people from the train. Those who had enough money were allowed back on.

Others, including this reporter, were taken to the local police station. Hours of paperwork followed.

One guard, asked if he thought the tumultuous events across the border augured change in Syria, replied: "We have noticed no change across the border. Everything is exactly the same as it has always been."