I remember the day the statue fell in Baghdad. I would find out later that day that the men who pulled it down were friends of mine. Watching the tank retrieval vehicle yank down Saddam’s monument to his own greed and arrogance, I knew I was watching something special. It felt like the end of the war. It felt like victory. But that was four long years ago and what felt like he end of the war, was really only the start of a new one.

Thousands of Iraqis marked the anniversary of that day by protesting the continuing presence of Americans in Iraq. One demonstration took place in the city of Najaf. This demonstration was ordered by radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. Sadr did not attend the rally and his whereabouts are unknown, but his supporters chanted his name. The demonstration ended without violence.

Many in the international media have used these demonstrations to feed their anti-war stories. They use the Iraqis protest as evidence that the war was misguided and that coalition forces should withdraw from the country. However, the world media is missing a vital point. No one is discussing the fact that these peaceful demonstrations would never have been possible under Saddam Hussein’s regime. A protest of this magnitude under Saddam would have resulted in the arrest, torture and probable deaths of the majority for the protestors and their families. The very fact that thousands of Iraqis can take to the streets without fear of reprisal or arrest is a sign that the war has succeeded in at least one mission.

The question about a withdrawal from Iraq should take these protests into consideration. Will the Iraqis be able to continue to enjoy this new freedom if we leave? Will Sadr continue to be so supportive of the right to protest if he steps into the power vacuum that will follow our withdrawal?

In the United States, we take freedom of speech, freedom of assembly and the right to protest for granted. We can take to the streets whenever we feel moved to do so. We can picket outside the White House. We can set up disgusting anti-war displays outside the President’s home. The people of Iraq have finally been given those rights as well. That is a sign of success, not of failure. The fact that Iraqis can raise their voices at all is a sign that we have done something good.