There's an excellent piece in today's Australian by Nicolas Rothwell. Its theme:
The Middle Eastern year began with a flourish and it has scarcely slowed since. As the stages of a democratic revolution have followed each other at a mounting pace, even the most bitter cynics among the long-disappointed Arab intelligentsia are daring to hope that freedom and open politics may come to flourish in their world.I was particularly taken with Rothwell's characterization of the January 30 election in Iraq:
They emerged from the polling booths, old rural women and young city professionals, raising their ink-stained fingers as symbols of defiance. By their action, they did something simple yet profound: they nationalised their country's struggle. No longer are the insurgents seen as fighters in combat against the US occupiers; now they are attacking and defying the will of the Iraqi people.Read the whole thing. And see, in the same connection, this article (thanks: L.) about Iraqi popular anger at the 'insurgency'.