Follow the Money

Interesting story about Iraq's first big media mogul (or moghul for the proper spelling, the word did come from near there). From the UK Guardian: bq. Media mogul accused of running Saudi-funded propaganda campaign Iraq's first independent media mogul has been running his empire with millions of pounds secretly provided by the Saudi regime, according to allegations made in the high court in London. bq. Based on documents lodged with the court, Saad Al-Bazzaz - dubbed the Rupert Murdoch of Iraq - was alleged to have received the money for the launch of his newspaper Azzaman, which is now the most widely read daily in Iraq. Mr Bazzaz also controls Iraq's first private satellite TV channel. bq. The papers emerged during a libel action in which Mr Bazzaz, a former exile in London, was accused of running a sophisticated covert propaganda operation funded by Saudi Arabian intelligence. bq. Mr Bazzaz's lawyers disputed the provenance of some of the documents. But the issue is more complex than it seems on the surface: (The settlement in question is a libel charge) bq. In the week of the Iraqi elections, the settlement will have repercussions in the Arab world about the independence of the new Iraqi media. Azzaman has built up a reputation for authoritative reporting and robust comment. bq. Until he left Iraq in 1992 after disagreeing with Saddam Hussein's invasion of Kuwait, Mr Bazzaz headed up the regime's national news agency and the state TV and radio organizations. In the early 80s he was the head of the Iraq Cultural Centre in London and after settling in the capital he became a British citizen. In 1997 he set up Azzaman and after the fall of Saddam the operation moved to Baghdad. So, probably not Baath but not free of Wahabbist taint either... Iraq has a long way to go but it is taking the requisite first baby steps. I'm really looking forward to the reports of the election this coming weekend. The news I hear everywhere but the MSM indicates that the people there are anxious to vote and that democracy is something that is desired by them. They will not have our government, they will have their own government and it will grow into something good and strong. I would love to visit there in a year or so.