New powers, old habits in Iraq (giving birth to Islamic fundamentalists)

[papau]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/3313705.stm


New powers, old habits in Iraq

By Humphrey Hawksley
BBC world affairs correspondent

Six months before the planned transfer of sovereignty in Iraq, new political forces have been filling the vacuum left by the fall of Saddam. But a brush with the new authorities can mean a familiar encounter over identity cards and threats. <snip>

In the Basra market they were selling posters of Ayatollahs as they had once been selling Saddam memorabilia. Restaurants were banned from selling alcohol and in the mosques the Imams were recounting historic battles as if they had happened the day before and not hundreds of years ago. They must have known it in Washington but, amazingly, by getting rid of Saddam, the Americans have seamlessly given birth to Islamic fundamentalists. <snip>


"I want you to know that I'm head of security for the Daawa party", he said. "You must show me your identification. The way you're acting makes me think you're a spy."...The police came and stopped us leaving. "Why?" we asked. The officer shrugged. "The Daawa party is very powerful", he said. "If they tell us to do something we have to do it." <snip>

In fact, not that much different from the regime which had been deposed.