After the Fall
An inside look at the Bush team's plan to run Iraq once Saddam is gone
All of this planning, of course, is tentative. "Part of this is bureaucrats filling their time," one official points out. "Everything will change when the first bullets fly." Unless, of course, Saddam somehow manages to slip the noose once again.
How times change
Before two wars and a decade of sanctions, Iraq was a richer, more developed nation. Today it is mired in poverty.
Late 1970s Now
Inflation rate 4.6 pct. 60 pct.
Infant mortality 28 per 1,000 58 per 1,000
live births live births
Life expectancy 62 (1980) 59
GDP per capita $4,242* $2,700
*Inflation adjusted
Note: Today's numbers are estimates
Ethnic composition
Arab 75-80 pct.
Kurdish 15-20 pct.
Turkoman, Assyrian or other 5 pct.
Religions
Shiite 60-65 pct.
Sunni 32-37 pct.
Christian or other 3 pct.
Sources: Central Intelligence Agency, World Bank, World Almanac
With Thomas Omestad and Mark Mazzetti
advertisement
