Iraq back to being a dictatorship

Long term, who stands to benefit the most from the US invasion of Iraq:  American oil companies?  Saudi Arabia?  Israel?  

Probably none of the above.

In September the The Economist reported, "The Shia-led government has overseen a ballooning of the country’s security apparatus. Human-rights violations are becoming more common. In private many Iraqis, especially educated ones, are asking if their country may go back to being a police state."

Same as before, under Saddam?  Not quite.  As one Iranian exile pointed out to me, this new "made in America" Iraqi dictatorship appears to be aligned with Iran.   

The Iranian exile explained that Maliki has close ties with Iran, and the Iranian spies have infiltrated the highest ranks of  the government of Iraq.  

"The Iraqis are imprisoning and torturing Iranian opposition members who have fled Iran," the Iranian told me.

I asked how it was that the Americans had allowed this to happen.

"They [the US government] don't seem to know who some lobbyists represent."