You may have all noticed that I haven’t posted a nice, long entry on Iraq since the referendum. Well, that’s because I’ve been holding my breath. I don’t want to get too ahead of myself, so there will be something much much bigger when some more indicative preliminary figures come in.

One thing is for sure though. The January election and the October referendum were incredibly different emotional experiences for Americans who supported the war. Back then, we had no idea what would happen. It was one fell swoop of an emotional event, and when we saw Iraqis waving around their purple fingers, we smiled and cried all at once. Now, we are witnessing the unfolding of a long and arduous democratic process that elicits more sighs of relief than cries of joy.

It’s tough building a free and democratic nation, and we all know that. But we’re keen on making it succeed and helping the Iraqis make it succeed. With preliminary results looking in favor of a YES vote, I’m ready to breathe my sigh of relief, wipe the sweat of my forehead, and get ready for the next big day. Whether the Iraqis voted YES or NO this time around, December 15 is the next election for either a new temporary National Assembly or a full four year parliament. These next few months will be ones to marvel at.