An American soldier sends this dispatch from Iraq:

It is now dusk in Baquba, a city that lies thirty-five miles Northeast of
Baghdad, along the edge of the Sunni Triangle. The streets are quiet.
Vehicular traffic has been banned today, a curfew is due to come into effect
soon after dark. Mothers hurry home from the markets. Children scurry to
keep up with them. Election posters cling to the walls and streetlights. The
city is filled with expectations. The vast majority of the people realize
what is at stake here. They are ready to cast their ballots tomorrow, to
elect representatives who will govern them and craft a new constitution for
their nation. They are eager to write a new chapter in the history of their
country. Meanwhile, the enemies of freedom lurk in the dark alleyways of
this city. Domestic and foreign terrorists lie in wait. They fear not only
the outcome of the vote, but the very process itself. They want to halt the
inexorable march of freedom. They may try to disrupt the voting. No matter
what happens tomorrow, they are doomed to failure in the long run. The
elections will take place, the citizens of Baquba will cast their ballots.
The transformation of Iraq is about to commence. Still, this is not the end
of the beginning; nor the beginning of the end; it is the beginning of the
beginning. Sunday will mark the first step on the long road to political and
moral recovery in Iraq – and in the region. When the sun rises, the people
will speak.