Demagogue

As if we needed more proof that the post-war Iraq is not the peaceful, freedom-loving democracy that Dubya and Dick were so sure it would be, according to a British newspaper:

Human rights groups have condemned the "barbaric" murder of a 14-year-old boy, who, according to witnesses, was shot on his doorstep by Iraqi police for the apparent crime of being gay.

Ahmed Khalil was shot at point-blank range after being accosted by men in police uniforms, according to his neighbours in the al-Dura area of Baghdad.

Campaign groups have warned of a surge in homophobic killings by state security services and religious militias following an anti-gay and anti-lesbian fatwa issued by Iraq's most prominent Shia leader, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani.

... Grand Ayatollah Sistani recently issued a fatwa on his website calling for the execution of gays in the "worst, most severe way." .... Last September, Hayder Faiek, a transsexual, was burnt to death by Badr militias in the main street of Baghdad's al-Karada district.

And what are U.S.-led coalition forces doing to try to curb such unjustified attacks? Apparently, not much.

[Ali] Hili, whose Abu Nawas group has close links with clandestine gay activists inside Iraq, said U.S. coalition forces are unwilling to try and tackle the rising tide of homophobic attacks. "They just don't want to upset the Iraqi government by bringing up the taboo of homosexuality even though homophobic murders have intensified," he said.