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BODY POLITIC by Jack Archibald, Atlantic Highlands Councilman

Contact Jack Archibald jack@ahherald.com View archive

DEMOCRACY'S TIME HAS COME IN AFGHANISTAN

A significant moment in democracy occurred this week, and almost nobody noticed. In an event that got less coverage from our national media than the Scott Peterson trial, Afghanistan installed their first elected President. Less than three years after the ouster of the Taliban, democracy has put its foot down in the Middle East.

While there are still parts of Afghanistan that need to be converted, the majority of the country is now practicing democracy. This is a country where not so long ago, women were not permitted to go to school, where historic sites were destroyed to promote the radical Islamic agenda, and where warlords dominated the countryside. To be sure, the mountainous region is not fully under control, but everyone knows that Bin-Laden and his associates will eventually be found.

The accomplishment of the past three years needs to be measured. The Soviet Union was mired in Afghanistan for over ten years and they could never control the country. Pessimists predicted a long struggle for the United States and its allies in Afghanistan, yet we liberated them within six months and now they have formed a democracy. While the news media focuses on the bloodshed in Iraq, each day that passes brings us a step closer to January 30- when Iraqis can go to the polls and experience democracy for the first time in many years.

Nation building is a difficult business and the success in Afghanistan should not be overlooked. Many Afghans, including President Karzai are putting their lives on the line, which is their price for freedom. The model of freedom may not be perfect in Iraq, and it may take years to stabilize that country. Or it could be that the insurgents know that democracy is on its way and once the majority of Iraqis taste freedom that their time is up as well.