Few things are harder than building a state in Iraq
But hints of progress can be detected
AROUND NOON on June 9th, a sudden hubbub echoed through the Imam Hussein shrine in Karbala. Qassem Musleh, a militia boss who had been arrested two weeks earlier on suspicion of murder, was free and visiting one of Shia Islam’s holiest sites. A happy crowd surged around him as he walked out into the blazing sun. Some did not even stop to retrieve their shoes, and scorched their feet on the street. Your correspondent squeezed into the throng for a brief interview. “They had no proof,” crowed Mr Musleh.
This article appeared in the Middle East & Africa section of the print edition under the headline “Thirsting for change”
From the June 19th 2021 edition
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