In everyday discourse, political language is turned on its head, as Orwell prophesised in '1984'. "Democracy" is now a rhetorical device. Peace is "perpetual war". "Global" is imperial. The once hopeful concept of "reform" now means regression, even destruction.
For his part, Al Arabiya’s General Manager Abdulrahman al-Rashed vowed in a statement that the news channel and its sister channel al-Hadath will continue reporting the story in Iraq despite Maliki’s threats as well as other threats from the likes of ISIS.
During 2024 members of the press who were killed or injured in Iraq climbed to alarming numbers, while freedom of the press was smashed between the hammer of armed militias and the anvil of the government.