The new Iraqi vice-president, `Adil `Abdul-Mahdi, started his political career as a hard core Ba`thist. He then joined the Iraqi Communist Party, but then left and joined a Maoist offshoot. In France, where he studied, he was involved with French leftist groups. After that, he joined the Students' Batallion of the Fatah Movement of Yasir `Arafat. He now is of course a loyal devotee of Ayatollah Sistani. It is not clear yet what ideology `Abdul-Mahdi will espouse next week. I shall keep you posted.