For a look at just how successful the Iraqi elections really were, Mostly Cajun points out an op-ed in the Arab News.

In spite of everything, the Iraqis voted. They did so with a passion and a seriousness that gives the lie to the cliche that Arabs are not ready for democracy. One myth down, a thousand to go.

Everyone says that this is the first free elections in Iraq for fifty years. That is another lie. There has never been one single free election in the long history of the Arabs ever. This is the first one.

It took the Americans to conduct it and force it down the throats of dictators, terrorists, exploding deranged humans, and odds as big as the distance between the USA and the Middle East.

Of course this this shouldn't be taken lightly. For all the talk of voter intimidation in the U.S. during the last two elections, Iraqis faced the very real possibility of being murdered for trying to vote. And that very thing almost happened, as Free Iraq blog points out.

Citizens of Al Mudhiryiah (a small town in the "death triangle") were subjected to an attack by several militants today who were trying to punish the residents of this small town for voting in the election last Sunday.

The citizens responded and managed to stop the attack, kill 5 of the attackers, wounded 8 and burned their cars.

3 citizens were injured during the fire exchange. The Shiekh of the tribe to whom the 3 wounded citizens belong demanded more efforts from the government to stop who he described as "Salafis".

It's refreshing to see these Iraqis using their inalienable right to keep and bear arms for the security of a free state.