Saddam Allawi

Billmon does a great job of juxtaposing news articles about Allawi with articles about Saddam. Meet the new boss, indeed. The part about Najaf is particularly poignant. At the end of the first Gulf War in 1991, Shiites in Najaf, encouraged by statements by President George H.W. Bush, rose up against Saddam's regime. Their rebellion was crushed by Saddam's forces, and some of the holy mosques and shrines were damaged, while Americans stood by and watched.