Iraq Then (Like, Two Weeks Ago) And Now

(click images to enlarge)

Has Iraq undergone a sudden metamorphosis or were we just a little slow to catch on?

This story in the NYT on Friday (Shiite Militiamen Reclaim Mosque From the Sunnis – link) is about the escalating conflict between Sunni and Shia, and how the “new kids” appropriated a mosque in Baghdad.  The accompanying photo, however, has as much or more to say about Iraq’s new iconographic landscape, and the prevailing (or at least perceived new) power structure.

(image: Johan Spanner/Polaris, for The New York Times. March 3, 2006.  nyt.com)