Will Iraq's Democracy Vindicate Bush?

On the eve of war, former President Bush argued that a democratic Iraq would be a model for the rest of the Arab world. My latest CNN.com column discusses this weekend's successful Iraqi elections and the prospects for democracy in the region.

My latest column for CNN.com discusses this weekend's successful Iraqi elections and the prospect that Iraq's democracy could be a model for the region.

A stable Western-oriented Iraq at peace with itself and its neighbors would be a great prize. If that future does take hold, we'll learn the answer to another great question.

Speaking on the eve of war in 2003, President George W. Bush told the guests at the American Enterprise Institute's annual dinner that he discerned 'hopeful signs of a desire for freedom in the Middle East. Arab intellectuals have called on Arab governments to address the 'freedom gap' so their peoples can fully share in the progress of our times.

'Leaders in the region speak of a new Arab charter that champions internal reform, greater politics participation, economic openness, and free trade. And from Morocco to Bahrain and beyond, nations are taking genuine steps toward politics reform. A new regime in Iraq would serve as a dramatic and inspiring example of freedom for other nations in the region.'

Will he be vindicated?

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