This dust

Amidst the messy security situation in Iraq, an Iraqi VIP was assassinated in Iraq and I went to conodole his brother who is a University of Qatar Professor. Among those present to condloe the berieved brother was Najji Sabri, Saddam's last Secretary of State. Naji and I were fellow-students at the English Department, University of Baghdad in mid-1960s. In an aside to Najji yesterday, I described the deteriorating situation in Iraq by quoting Samuel Becket: "This dust will not settle in our time"