ìIraq Gives Order To Reopen Paper G.I.ís Had Closed: Gesture to Shiite Cleric: In Sign of New Tactics on Militants, Premier Lets U.S. Strike Falluja,î by Ian Fisher, New York Times, 19 July, p. A1.

ìWhen Elections Threaten Democracy: Afghans simply wonít be ready to vote any time soon,î by Ansar Rahel, NYT, 19 July, p. A17.

ìTiny Agencyís Iraq Analysis Is Better Than Big Rivalsí: Giving ëthe accepted analysisí a ësecond, harder look,íî by Douglas Jehl, NYT, 19 July, p. A10.

Iraqís tough new PM corrects a big Bremer mistake: shutting down a newspaper that had been sympathetic to Moqtada al-Sadrís movement. Bremer thought he was buying the CPA some peace and quiet, but all he did was drive up local anger and resistance that ended up costing a number of U.S. lives. But he also okays a U.S. strike into a Falluja stronghold believed to contain Zarqawiís personnel.

Together, Dr. Allawiís two actions seemed early evidence of his stated strategy for taming the deadly insurgency by making concessions to fighters who cooperate and cracking down on those who do not.

How long will it take Allawiís good cop/bad cop routine to bring real stability to Iraq? Probably quite some time. And yes, the first election probably will be a bit of a sham in both Iraq and Afghanistan, an outcome that happens to even the most mature democracies now and then (Florida recount anyone?). But admitting that weíre in both nations for the long haul does not reduce the utility of trying our best to bring democracy to either.

Yes, we will constantly be told by the experts and academics that what weíve gotten ourselves into is so much harder than some decision makers in the Bush Administration thought, which is why the State Departmentís bureau of Intelligence and Research (INR) is always ìrightî whenever the desired results donít meet our natural tendency toward strategic ADD. But the I-told-you-so crowd has no answers other than leave-it-alone! and for-God-sakes-donít-do-anything-to-piss-off-the-terrorists!

Oh, wait a minute, I forgot about abstinence as a strategyóor getting off oil. Right, then we could turn the Middle East into Indiaís and Chinaís strategic security issue and that would make for a safer global security environment.

But thatís forgetting Israel and the House of Saud and . . . but letís leave that laundry list to Anonymousóa seriously myopic visionary.