More of it is democratic than it used to be. And it's no longer a haven for al Qaeda and the Taliban. I heard a lot about the dreaded "Spring Offensive" last winter from the Left. Not so much now. NATO is kicking the Taliban's ass all over the country.

Of course, they're holing up in western Pakistan now, a serious issue, but that's another story. Besides, the Taliban lived there before 9/11, too.

As for bin Laden, odds are he's been dead for at least a year now. There are other people doing his job.

Besides, haven't you read your talking points? If you kill a terrorist leader, it's of no importance since they have an infinite supply of them. At least that's what I've heard every time a terrorist leader has been killed. Or weren't you aware that "makes no difference if we got Zarqawi" and "It would all be over if we'd gotten bin Laden" cancel each other out?