The state of Iraqi media
: Radio Free Europe’s site assesses the state of Iraqi media:
Like virtually all other aspects of the Iraqi state and society, the media were completely incorporated into Hussein’s totalitarian structure, a reality that was symbolically represented by the fact that Hussein gave his eldest son, Uday Hussein, responsibility for it….
Internet access in Iraq, which was only launched in 1997, was severely restricted by the Hussein regime. In 2001, the U.S. government estimated that there were just 12,500 Internet users in Iraq, which has a population of more than 26 million.
This same piece gives other valuable background on, for examle, the Ba’ath Party, the Shi’a movement, and Arab press reaction. [via Die Zeit]
