Fatima Ibrahim, a Kurdish widow, expressed her feelings of liberty after voting in the first democratic elections in the past 50 years: "Now I feel that Saddam is really gone." She lost her husband, father and brother under Saddam's reign, never hearing from them again.

Returns on the watershed Iraqi election differed. Well over half of all eligible Iraqis voted, which of itself is astounding considering the insurgents' murderous threats. The insurgents also learned their heinous tactics failed. The Iraqis are to be commended for trading danger for freedom.

The prospects of a functioning democracy in Iraq must give Syria and Iran pause. Syria is supportive of the Iraqi insurgents; Iranian insurgents aren't discouraged from crossing the Iran-Iraq border. Jordan's king appears moderate to the election as does Egypt.

Is it possible that democracy could spread throughout the Middle East? The odds are against it, based on religion and a 4,000-year-old culture.

Bible prophecy indicates that an end-time "king of the South" (Daniel 11:40) will head up a likely Islamic confederation that will attack the forming European-centered superpower, leading to a great end-time conflagration. To learn more, request our free booklet The Middle East in Bible Prophecy. (Source: Associated Press.)