UNFINISHED BUSINESS

In the foolish and extravagant language that has now become the commonality of Iraqi official written and spoken expression, truth has been turned on its head and straightforward communication abandoned in favour of hyperbole and invention, According to official Baghdad, the invasion of Kuwait was to liberate an oppressed people, the ignominious retreat of the Iraqi forces from Kuwait was a glorious Iraqi victory, the wretched plight of the ordinary Iraqi people is the result of international conspiracies against Iraq, and the Iraqi government's brutal military and punitive economic campaigns against Iraqi Kurds and Iraqi Shias are simply implementations of enlightened social policies,