Pointed out by someone writing to Oxblog:

There's one set of "experts" about the post-war situation in both Iraq and Afghanistan about whom I've seen very little comment; and yet I personally respect their opinions more than all of the opinions of the "world affairs experts." (What can I say? I'm an ignorant engineer and have a lot of respect for the person actually on the scene!)

That group is the "refugees." All the reports I've seen have said that vast numbers of Afghans have been moving back into Afghanistan since the fall of the Taliban, and also that the flow of "refugees" has been INTO Iraq rather than out of it. I consider that to be a VERY significant comment upon the value of the changes wrought by the U.S. actions.

I'm not by this trying to excuse any errors that the U.S. may have made, but I think that the opinion of the former refugees is the most valuable one available as to the relative change in the situations. Those people both understand the situation at the level of the individual citizen far better than any "distant expert," and they are validating their opinions with their LIVES.

"Better" is, of course, not perfection, but it is, I think, a valid comparison of what has been accomplished. There's still work to do, but the mere fact that the net flow of people has been back into both of the countries in question, starting very soon after the completion of "major military action" (you'll notice that I'm not saying "after the countries were safe and secure") is something that deserves consideration and respect.

Reporters in Jordan and elsewhere DURING the war were amazed that few if any Iraqis were fleeing the country. Vast refugee camps remained largely empty.