Iraq now has a professionally trained army and police force accountable to a democratically elected government and, through them, to the people.  Unusually among Arab nations the security forces should now act as upholders of the law rather than the personal armies of local and national strong men used to settle grudges and silence dissent.  The torture chambers are closed and the courts are functioning. There is, of course, work still to be done in terms of creating jobs but at least those jobs will go to people on the basis of ability rather than political loyalty.  Iraq still faces problems but is better equipped to deal with them than it has been in a century and more.