The winners in Iraq

It's like a Bateman cartoon: the man who wrote something positive about Iraq at CiF. Here's Hayder al-Khoei:

Many people argue the biggest winner of the 2003 Iraq war is neighbouring Iran. The American-led forces removed one of Iran's bitterest enemies, Saddam Hussein, and paved the way for successive Shia-dominated governments in Baghdad. The Iranians have not shied away from interfering in domestic Iraqi affairs and the power vacuum created by the American administration in Iraq gave them ample room to flex their muscles.

Several Shia political parties have been established and funded in Tehran, or have been given safe haven in Iran. Weapons, military training, millions of dollars and protection have been gifted to these parties and their armed militias, and these valuable resources were used to consolidate their grip on power in Iraq following the demise of the Ba'athist regime.

The Americans, on the other hand, spent over a trillion dollars, lost more than 4,000 people, tarnished their reputation in the region and failed to control Iraq's oil wealth. The Iranians, so the argument goes, have outplayed the Americans in this game of chess.

Proponents of this argument are forgetting one vital ingredient that Iraq has and Iran lacks. Democracy. Iran can arm and fund militias till kingdom come, but at the end of the day, in Iraq, it is ballot papers, not bullets, that decide who stays in power and who gets the boot.

Oh dear oh dear. Luckily I saw this soon after it was posted, with only two comments up - both derisory, of course. I'm not going back. It'll be a bloodbath.

The recent wave of terrorist attacks in Iraq has killed many innocent people, but Iraq's enemies have still not understood the determination and resilience of the people. As the terrorists slaughter young men queuing up to join the security forces, hundreds more are willing to take their place.

The Iraqi army continues to go from strength to strength, the Iraqi intelligence is ever more capable of gathering information and Iraq will soon catch up with the region in oil exports. Iraq's neighbours will do well to respect that and ensure they have as few enemies as possible.

Doesn't he know how Guardian readers feel about the prospect of a successful democratic Iraq?