WILL POLL RESULTS MEAN ANYTHING FOR IRAQ’S SUFFERING MASSES? In Iraq, the political bloc led by Shiite Muslim cleric Moqtada Sadr has been confirmed as the biggest winner in October’s parliamentary election. True to form, the other main Shiite faction, which is pro-Iran, has rejected these results. These political shenanigans will continue, but what about average Iraqis? The misery of their daily lives is highly unlikely to be reduced. Unemployment, lack of security, daily power cuts, collapse of medical services - these are the realities of daily life in Iraq. It is a country literally floating in oil, but its desperate citizens are dying in the icy waters of Europe in search of a better life. Iraq’s monthly oil revenues routinely top $6 billion. Where is that money going? [COMMENT BY: Omar Shariff, International Editor]
AFP