Yesterday I remarked on the importance of de-Ba'athification in a post-war, democratic Iraq. Robert Pollock magnificently cited a magic number of 30,000 Ba'athists who are, for all intents and purposes, ideologically handcuffed to the past - and they would need to go.

The Allies, as providence would have it, have listened:

Between 15,000 and 30,000 Baath Party officials will be banned entirely from any future Iraqi government, a senior U.S. official said Friday. He said the move will eliminate Saddam Hussein's party and "put a stake in its heart." The official from the U.S. Office of Reconstruction and Humanitarian Assistance, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the move would help Iraq move on from the legacy of Saddam's regime.

"The Baath Party in Iraq is finished," the official said. "We mean to be sure that by this process, we will put a stake in its heart."

Excellent. Now, if the burgeoning political landscape in Baghdad and beyond can legally keep socialists and Islamists from gaining any footholds in the hearts of the population, Iraq will be well on its way to a prosperous pluralism before the decade is out.