Jonathan Steele / The Guardian

June 18th, 2004

With less than two weeks until the much-vaunted transfer of power from the Americans to an Iraqi government, a few hints of the limits to Iraqi independence have emerged from the men Washington has "approved" to participate in the new government. Last week America passed an order banning the radical cleric, Moqtada al-Sadr, from taking part in Iraq's first democratic elections in January. It was an odd decision for a country which claims to be bringing democracy to Iraq...

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