In case you missed it

Iraq receives far more attention than does Afghanistan in the War on Terror, and that isn't always fair.

Iraq just had historic elections last Thursday, but let's not forget the fact that Monday Afghanistan's parliament met for the first time in more than 30 years. Vice President Cheney was on hand to help celebrate this achievement. From a Telegraph report:

Afghanistan's parliament met for the first time in more than 30 years yesterday, completing a transition to democratic government but leaving many Afghans harbouring grave doubts.

After three decades of invasion, bloodshed and civil conflict, President Hamid Karzai described the meeting as a "sign of us regaining our honour".

"We have the right to tell those who are after the destruction of this water and soil that this homeland will exist for ever," he declared, prompting tears from many delegates.

Mr Karzai urged national reconciliation and reiterated a call to Taliban rebels to abandon their insurgency, which has intensified in the past year despite his efforts to encourage defections.

The opening of parliament was the culmination of a United Nations-backed plan to bring democracy, the 2001 Bonn Agreement, drawn up after US-led forces overthrew the Taliban.

Freedom is on the march. Would all this have happened if the Defeatocrats were in charge? If we had listened to the voices in October 2001 telling us Afghanistan was a quagmire? Freedom is not free, and tyrants and killers do not relinquish their hold on power and slink away simply because we wish and hope they would. Iraq and Afghanistan are enjoying freedom because dedicated people fought for it.