I knew it was the law and order part.
What i meant is that even in a dictatorship where written law is not consistently enforced(its bended to suit the dicators interests) people still know what the red lines are, and you don't have to be afraid for your life, so long as you don't get in that dictators way.
The Americans are doing a bad job in keeping the sectarian conflict in check, and in turn, security has become extremely bad in Iraq.