Eminent Domain

They have another kind of takings law in Iraq; that's the one where you take the mayor's office:

BAGHDAD, Iraq, Aug. 9 - Armed men entered Baghdad's municipal building during a blinding dust storm on Monday, deposed the city's mayor and installed a member of Iraq's most powerful Shiite militia.

The deposed mayor, Alaa al-Tamimi, who was not in his offices at the time, recounted the events in a telephone interview on Tuesday and called the move a municipal coup d'état. He added that he had gone into hiding for fear of his life.

"This is the new Iraq," said Mr. Tamimi, a secular engineer with no party affiliation. "They use force to achieve their goal."

Al-Tamini was appointed by Paul Bremer last year. The new mayor is a member of the Badr Brigade, the armed militia for SCIRI, the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq. They're part of the ruling national government. SCIRI won the provincial election in Baghdad, and this guy was governor of the province. But he didn't have the control over Baghdad he wanted, so he took over by force. It's basically akin to an armed militia representing Schwarzenegger taking over the mayoralty of San Francisco.

Maybe I shouldn't give him any ideas.

Well, there's another installment of democracy, Iraq-style. Meanwhile, there are another five dead service members today, bringing it up to 38 in August.

Good thing Saddam was captured, or else it'd be a REAL mess over there.