Included among the various international reactions to the election of Barack Obama is this, from a Saudi journalist attending the US Embassy in Riyadh’s Election Night event:

Saudi journalist Samir Saadi said Obama’s election means “the U.S. has won the war on terror.”

“Given Obama’s name, his background, the doubts about his religion, Americans still voted for him, and this proved that America is a democracy,” he said. “People here are starting to believe in the U.S. again.”

While this is perhaps a touch hyperbolic, he does point out an obvious truth. At least as far as the typical American is concerned, paranoia seems to be leaving the scene.