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Iraq book ban raises fears of free speech clampdown
Moves by Iraq's government to control the flow of information both in print and online have raised fears of a crackdown on free speech reminiscent of the regime of ex-dictator Saddam Hussein.
A decision to screen imported books and plans for Internet filters are being seen by intellectuals as a sign that the years of freer expression ushered in by the 2003 US-led invasion that toppled Saddam could be coming to an end.
In its first move, the government last month introduced rules requiring that all imported printed works be vetted to weed out those that promote "sectarianism".
"It's a return to an atmosphere of intellectual oppression, no matter what the excuses or justifications are," Baghdad-based literary critic Mohammed Ismail told AFP.