Freedom in the World    Freedom in the World 2006  2006 Scores
Not Free  Freedom Rating (1 = best, 7 = worst)   Civil Liberties
(1 = best, 7 = worst)   Political Rights (1 = best, 7 = worst)
Ratings Change:   raq's political rights rating improved from 7
to 6 due to the holding of modestly successful elections to a
transitional national assembly in January 2005 and the
subsequent formation of a transitional government.   The
ascension of a new government through procedurally free and fair
elections in 2005 marked a major watershed in Iraq's transition
to democracy. However, civil liberties came under increasing
threat as Sunni Arab terrorist groups stepped up attacks on the
civilian population (especially Shias), and the new Shiite-
dominated government launched an aggressive counterinsurgency
campaign, allegedly involving scores of extrajudicial executions
of suspected Sunni Arab insurgents.  The modern state of Iraq,
consisting of three former Ottoman provinces, was established
after World War I as a Leag