Violence escalates in Iraq as government pushes to end protests

Reuters via Yahoo ^ | January 27th, 2020 | By Aziz El Yaakoubi and Nadine Awadalla

[Mariner]

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Gunmen shot dead two protesters in Iraq's southern city of Nassiriya overnight and a Baghdad district became a battlefield on the third day of a drive by security forces to end months of demonstrations against the largely Iran-backed ruling elite.

Clashes over the weekend had already killed at least five protesters. Rockets also hit the U.S. embassy compound in Baghdad's fortified Green Zone housing government buildings.

Ambassadors of 16 countries in Baghdad including the United States, France and Britain condemned the use of live fire by Iraqi security forces and called for a credible investigation into the deaths of more than 500 protesters since October.

Security sources said three people were wounded when at least one rocket landed in the U.S. embassy compound, the first time in years that an attack on the Green Zone - a regular occurrence - had hurt staff there.

The Iraqi military said five Katyusha rockets hit the Green Zone late on Sunday, without reporting casualties.

In a phone call with Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo expressed outrage at the continued assaults by Iran's armed groups targeting U.S. facilities in Iraq, including Sunday's attack, State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said.

[Mariner]

Just wait until the Wuhan virus hits.

Every unstable government in the world is at risk as are many heretofore stable one's. Venezuela. Iran. Iraq. Syria. Turkey. And several African and Central American states. Maybe even Mexico.

Now would be a good time to get out. We will quickly loose our ability to influence events.

[waterhill]

I should have posted: ‘Shoot their way out of this predicament.’

[GOPJ]

Now would be a good time to get out. We will quickly loose our ability to influence events.

We don't 'influence events' unless you're talking about politicians like the Clintons - - going to the shady countries to shake down 'leaders' by selling 'speeches' for $400,000 - - for 40 minutes...

"You want influence and American dollars pumped into your hellhole? Here's a list of 'speeches' YOU can buy... - prices are on the right hand side..."

[Paal Gulli]

Self-government won't work without self-discipline.
--Paul Harvey

This is why there are so few democratic Muslim Arab countries. The only 'politics' they respond to is brutality.