Between Iraq and a Hard Place

I think it’s past time to begin thinking about which Iraqis the US/UK non-occupation ought to conclude have spontaneously been presented by the Iraqi people for a transition cabinet.

Consider the heroic rescue of Jessica Lynch. One of the heroes contradicts bitter longstanding American prejudices. He is the Iraqi, named Muhammad no less, who risked his life contacting US forces then returning *twice* to the hospital where Lynch was held in order to help save her. So what prejudice does Mohammad contradict ? He is a lawyer.

I think we have to hit this guy with two tough questions. First, what is your last name and, second, would you like to be minister of justice ?

I also think it should be easy to improve on the performance of the current minister of information.

Cheers, Tears and Looting in Capital's Streets
By JOHN F. BURNS
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/10/international/worldspecial/10BAGH.html

“As with Iraqi troops, so it was with most officials who until days ago were swearing undying fealty to Mr. Hussein. The information minister, Muhammad Said al-Sahhaf, who gained a reputation earlier in the war for daily news conferences that verged on the delusional, failed to show up today at the Palestine hotel. His last words on Tuesday were:

'I now inform you that you are too far from reality.’”


“Another man told a Daily Telegraph reporter there were so many different branches of the Shia Muslim religion alone in Basra, truly representative government would probably be impossible.

‘Democracy will not come overnight to Iraq. Democracy for us is like the other side of the moon - we know it is there but we have never actually seen it.’”

So who is this other man and would he like to be minister of information (ok communications director, press secretary or spokesman). I should add that I do not read the Daily Telegraph or its web page. I got the quote re-quoted by the bbc.