...Since the election, coverage of the violence, as valid as it is, has once again obscured major developments. In political terms, Iraq followed the timeline we envisioned, achieving a string of concrete and unprecedented political successes: the drafting of an interim constitution in February 2004; the formation of a multi-ethnic interim government in June that year; followed by the early hand over of sovereignty the same month; culminating in the dramatic election in January this year. But we also expected the insurgency to progressively dry up as Iraqis became politically empowered and democratic institutions took shape. This hasn't happened, at...