The wonders of a "free" "democratic" society

Iraq once had a censored press. As you may recall, while watching the beginning of the bombing campaign on Baghdad in the first Gulf War live from inside the country, the newscasters told you that their words would have to be measured because Saddam's goons were hovering nearby. Of course, the pictures told the whole story without the words.

Now that we have "freed" Iraq and given it all those good things, like a "free" press and a "Democratic" government, they've learned to do things better. Now, they're going to censor the pictures too:

BAGHDAD - Iraq's interior ministry has decided to bar news photographers and cameramen from the scenes of bomb attacks, operations director Brigadier General Abdel Karim Khalaf said Sunday.

His announcement was the latest in a series of attempts to curtail press coverage of the ongoing conflict, which has already attracted criticism from international human rights bodies.