Iraq’s war on corruption a test that must be passed

Baghdad is witnessing thunderous chapters in the war on corruption. Factual reports are mixed with fabrications and accurate images with doctored pictures. The Baghdadis’ schadenfreude over the fall of the “big catches” has been loud and public. They watch the news: piles of dollars buried inside walls or in gardens. They pass stories of gold around and of the crowns of corruption. They laugh in the streets every time the misdeeds of a parliamentarian, a governor or a senior official are exposed in one of the state’s “mines” — and there are many.