A Chequer-Board of Nights and Days

Once again, the people of Iraq--who have had so much misery befall them--inspire and astound:

Iraqis voted in a historic parliamentary election Thursday, with strong turnout reported in Sunni Arab areas and even a shortage of ballots in some precincts. Because of the large turnout, the Iraqi election commission met in emergency session and extended voting for one hour after long lines were reported at some sites, said commission official Munthur Abdelamir. Heavy participation by Sunni Arabs, who had shunned balloting last January, bolstered U.S. hopes of calming the insurgency enough to begin withdrawing its troops next year.

The Iraqi election commission said results would be announced within two weeks.

Meanwhile, several explosions rocked Baghdad throughout the day, but overall the level of violence was low.

A large blast near the heavily fortified Green Zone slightly injured two civilians and a U.S. Marine, the U.S. military said. A civilian was killed when a mortar shell hit near a polling station in the northern city of Tal Afar, and a grenade killed a school guard near a voting site in Mosul.

A bomb also exploded in Ramadi, a mortar round struck about 200 yards from a polling place in Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit, and a bomb was defused at a voting site in Fallujah, despite promises by major insurgent groups not to attack such places.

But violence was light overall and did not appear to discourage Iraqis, some of whom turned out wrapped in their country's flag on a bright, sunny day, and afterward displayed a purple ink-stained index finger _ a mark to guard against multiple voting.

"The number of people participating is very, very high and we have had very few irregularities," U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad told The Associated Press. "It is a good day so far, good for us, good for Iraq."

Yes it is, which is why talk of an early withdrawal that may do nothing other than snatch defeat from the jaws of victory is still quite premature. But forget that for now. Be attentive as the first democracy in the Arab world since God-knows-when is finally being established. Be attentive as a noble people take their destiny in hand and inshallah, work wonders with it.

UPDATE: Be sure to consistently check back here for some very valuable on-the-scene reporting.