The Husseiniya threshold resolves the biggest tribal conflict in Basra that has lasted for years

bigwave · September 8, 2018

IRAQ CLOSES ITS BIGGEST PORT DUE TO PROTESTS

SOURCE: MIDDLE EAST MONITOR

The Iraqi authorities kept the country’s main port closed on Friday due to demonstrations calling for the improvement of basic infrastructure in the city, news agencies have reported. The main gates of Umm Qasr port remained closed all day on Thursday and Friday, said Anadolu, which pointed out that re-opening the port is subject to improved security conditions.

Umm Qasr is 60 km south of Basra. It is the main port for Iraqi imports of grain, vegetable oil and sugar shipments that feed the country. Iraq is more or less dependent on imported food.

Basra has been witnessing widespread protests since 9 July. They escalated this week after the death of 11 protesters, according to the High Commission for Human Rights, an organisation affiliated to the Iraqi parliament.

Iraqis have been protesting against corruption and the dilapidation of basic infrastructure due to which they suffer from serious water contamination and severe electricity shortages.

The latest news from Reuters is that the authorities have reopened the Umm Qasr port. No details were provided about the security situation.

MPs Call on Iraq PM to Resign over Basra Unrest

A man holds a national flag while protesters burn the m...

Two parliamentary blocs called on Saturday Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi to resign following unrest in the southern Basra city.

The two leading groups in parliament called on Abadi to step down, after lawmakers held an emergency meeting on the public anger boiling over in the southern city of Basra.

The announcement dealt a severe blow to Abadi's hopes of holding onto his post through a bloc -- described as the biggest in parliament -- unveiled just days earlier with Moqtada al-Sadr, the victor in May parliamentary elections.

His alliance with the Shiite cleric has since crumbled as protests against poverty and poor services in Basra turned violent this week.

"We demand the government apologize to the people and resign immediately," said Hassan al-Aqouli, spokesman for Sadr’s list.

Ahmed al-Assadi, spokesman for the second-largest list in parliament, the Conquest Alliance, condemned "the government's failure to resolve the crisis in Basra", where 12 protesters were killed this week in clashes with security forces.

The Conquest Alliance of pro-Iranian former paramilitary fighters was "on the same wavelength" as Sadr's Marching Towards Reform list and they would work together to form a new government, Assadi said.

Abadi, whose grouping came third in the May polls, defended his record in parliament, describing the unrest as "political sabotage" and saying the crisis over public services was being exploited for political ends.

His government has announced the allocation of an unspecified amount of extra funds for Basra, although demonstrators say that billions of dollars in emergency funding pledged in July has failed to materialize.

Basra has been rocked by protests since Tuesday, with angry protesters torching government buildings and offices belonging to the Iranian-backed militias. On Friday night, protesters chanting anti-Iranian slogans including "Iran, out, out!" stormed the Iranian consulate and set it on fire.

They also burned an Iranian flag and trampled on a portrait of Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

On Saturday, an Iraqi flag was placed at the entrance to the consulate after the Iranian one was torn down and set ablaze. Sprayed in red on the concrete wall of the consulate were the words: "Down with Iran, down with the militias, the revolution will continue."

The anger flared after the hospitalization of 30,000 people who had drunk polluted water, in an oil-rich region where residents have for weeks complained of water and electricity shortages, corruption among officials and unemployment.

At least a dozen demonstrators have been killed and 50 wounded in clashes with security forces, according to the interior ministry.

Hours before parliament met, four rockets fired by unidentified assailants struck inside the perimeter of Basra airport, security sources said.

Staff at the airport, which is located near the US consulate in Basra, said flights were not affected.

"We're thirsty, we're hungry, we are sick and abandoned," protester Ali Hussein told AFP on Friday in Basra after another night of violence.

The anger on Basra's streets was "in response to the government's intentional policy of neglect", said the head of the region's human rights council, Mehdi al-Tamimi.

Security forces have since deployed in the city. Masked troops in combat fatigues set up checkpoints on Saturday and rode through the city center in black pickup trucks with heavy weapons mounted in the back. Security forces in Humvees deployed at intersections.

Raad Abdelhamid, a Basra firefighter, said he fears for Iraq.

"The militias are responsible for this corruption," he said as he stood outside the still-smoldering provincial government building on Saturday, his second day of working to put out a fire there.

"I fear Basra is headed for more blood," he said, in tears.

A banner on one side of the building read in Arabic: "No to the militias, your militias under our feet."

Iraq has been struggling to rebuild its infrastructure and economy after decades of bloody conflicts, including an eight-year war with Iran in the 1980s, the US-led invasion of 2003 and the battle against the ISIS terrorist group.

In August, the oil ministry announced that crude exports for August had hit their highest monthly figure this year, with nearly 112 million barrels of oil bringing $7.7 billion to state coffers.

Iraq, however, suffers from persistent corruption and many Iraqis complain that the oil wealth is unfairly distributed.

Two months ago, Abadi pledged a multi-billion dollar emergency plan to revive infrastructure and services in southern Iraq, one of the country's most marginalized regions.

https://m.aawsat.com/english/home/article/1389106/mps-call-iraq-pm-resign-over-basra-unrest

DoD · September 8, 2018

WOW, it looks Maliki an Iran’s plan is working perfectly...

10 YEARS LATER · September 8, 2018

5 minutes ago, DoD said:

WOW, it looks Maliki an Iran’s plan is working perfectly...

It certainly does appear so. . . . Like your brother does something “ wrong” and YOU GET yelled at.

Best analogy I got right now ......too many Scotch shots. :drunk:

Pitcher · September 8, 2018

Iraq protests threaten oil production and critical ports

Basra, like neighboring Iran, is majority Shiite. But in recent years, residents have grown hostile toward Tehran over its dominance of Iraqi affairs, its support for political parties notorious for public waste and its backing of armed factions that enforce themselves as morality police.

The torching of the Iranian consulate came just 24 hours after the protesters — ignoring a government curfew — set fire to the offices of powerful Shiite political parties and Iran-backed militias that formed the backbone of the paramilitary Popular Mobilization Units.

The demonstrators did not spare the local government headquarters and provincial council, setting those ablaze as well.

Basra has been roiled by unrest since July, and the latest round of revolt was met with tear gas and live fire. The first week of September saw nine demonstrators killed and 93 wounded, according to the UN.

The deadly force has only inflamed the movement. Over the past two nights, security evaporated from the streets while the military kept to the sidelines. Angry groups of youths roamed the city center, demanding revenge for those killed and for years of neglect. The city appears out of control.

The unrest has put a spotlight on corruption in Iraq’s economic capital, just as the Ministry of Oil seeks foreign investment – including from China – to transform the country from an importer of oil products to an exporter.

Gulf port closed

Demonstrators on Thursday shut down the country’s most important port, Umm Qasr.

Basra province is Iraq’s only outlet to the sea, and Umm Qasr is just one of five commercial sea ports that serve as the country’s main gateway for basic necessities.

The costly shutdown prompted the minister of transportation to call for restraint via local radio stations.

“Iraq is losing millions,” Kadhim Finjan pleaded over the airwaves. The port was eventually reopened Saturday before dawn.

Like the oil fields, these critical hubs have drawn protesters, who see the wealth they create being siphoned off by corruption.

An officer with the port authority, who spoke to Asia Times on condition of anonymity, said it was “impossible” for security to control the port

The ports – strategically placed on the Persian Gulf – are shared between the political parties, a phenomenon that saps their revenues and allows goods to enter without passing through customs.

An officer with the port authority, who spoke to Asia Times on condition of anonymity, said it was “impossible” for security to control the port.

“The political parties treat the ports like their private property. Goods are exempted from controls and inspection, and the taxes are reduced for traders dealing with the ruling parties,” he said.

Before the ports earned the ire of the demonstrations, it was the oil sector.

Basra’s 15 oil fields account for nearly 60% of the country’s oil reserves. Revenues from the province generate approximately $60 million daily, or 3.6 of Iraq’s total 4.3 million barrels per day.

The government relies on the sector to finance its activities, but only a fraction of the national budget flows back to Basra.

The stark contrast between Basra’s oil wealth and the miserable conditions of the population has prompted demonstrators this summer to organize sit-ins blocking the gates to the oil fields.

In addition to the 15-hour power cuts and filthy drinking water, they are demanding jobs.

Foreign companies operating in Basra are required to hire locals for at least 50% of job posts, and up to 80% depending on the contract. But those laws are often flouted.

The government has also allowed foreign companies to acquire vast swathes of agricultural lands to be used as oil fields north of Basra, resulting in the bulldozing of orchards and date palm fields and increased unemployment.

“The oil extracted from our city lands is not beneficial to us,” one demonstrator told Asia Times.

“It is better to stop its extraction than have it stolen,” he said, blaming the government and foreign companies alike.

According to provincial council member Ahmed Abdel Hussein, half of Basra residents live in poverty.

The government says unemployment stands at about at 7.8%, but academic studies suggest a far higher rate. There are no official statistics for the province.

Feared militia takeover

The government in Baghdad fears the deteriorating situation in Basra could disrupt oil production.

“The oil companies have been greatly affected by the protests,” said Adel al-Thamari, an academic and investment analyst in Basra.

“The workers cannot access the fields because of the closure of roads or closing of entry gates,” he told Asia Times, adding that “the oil companies have reduced the number of foreign experts for fear of their lives and inability to afford high insurance costs.”

The decline in production puts the financial burden on Baghdad. “Companies will raise the terms of credit, which means a great loss for Iraq, which will have to pay compensation to the companies,” he said.

Along with the world’s major oil companies, hundreds of logistics and security support companies provide operational services to the fields in Basra. As security deteriorates, they too will have to withdraw. “The withdrawal of these companies would mean production stops,” Thamari said.

The concerns of oil companies go beyond the protests to fears of a militia takeover.

“The army has taken the position of neutrality toward the demonstrations, and the fear is that the Popular Mobilization Units will deploy. This would cause a further deterioration of security, because the militias have their own internal divisions and such an escalation could neutralize the official security forces,” Thamari said.

http://www.atimes.com/article/iraqi-protesters-threaten-oil-production-and-ports/

Pitcher · September 8, 2018

Security forces deploy in Iraq’s Basra following violence

World Sep 8, 2018 3:03 PM EDT

BASRA, Iraq — Iraqi security forces deployed on the streets of Basra on Saturday, a day after protesters in the southern city stormed the Iranian consulate and torched government buildings in violence that rocked the oil-exporting Shiite heartland and sparked alarm across a conflict-weary country.

Masked troops in combat fatigues set up checkpoints and rode through the city center in black pickup trucks with heavy weapons mounted in the back. Security forces in Humvees deployed at intersections.

The deployment came after an alliance of powerful Shiite militias, many of them backed by Iran, vowed to respond to the violent protests that have gripped the city for the past week, raising the threat of further violence.

At least 15 people were killed and 249 injured in clashes between protesters and security forces this week, health officials say.

Iraqi protesters stand on a fire truck during an anti-government protest near the burnt building of the government office in Basra, Iraq September 7, 2018. Photo by Alaa al-Marjani/Reuters

Since June, Basra has been shaken by the most serious protests in the oil-rich southern region in years, with angry residents complaining of poor public services. In recent days, protests escalated, as crowds turned their rage on neighboring Iran, blaming its outsized influence in Iraq’s political affairs for their misery and calling for radical change. Iran controls powerful Shiite militias in Basra, home to some of the largest oil fields in Iraq.

Raad Abdelhamid, a Basra firefighter, said he fears for Iraq.

“The militias are responsible for this corruption,” he said as he stood outside the still-smoldering provincial government building on Saturday, his second day of working to put out a fire there.

“I fear Basra is headed for more blood,” he said, in tears.

A banner on one side of the building read in Arabic: “No to the militias, your militias under our feet.”

Despite the oil wealth, the city has long suffered from government neglect, soaring unemployment and a crumbling infrastructure. Over the past month, thousands of people were hospitalized after drinking polluted water.

Angry protesters have torched government buildings and offices belonging to the Iranian-backed militias in the weeklong protests demanding improved services and an end to corruption. On Friday night, protesters chanting anti-Iranian slogans including “Iran, out, out!” stormed the Iranian consulate and set it on fire.

They also burned an Iranian flag and trampled on a portrait of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, Bahram Ghasemi, condemned the attack on the consulate, which he said caused significant damage to the building. He called for maximum punishment for the assailants. The ministry also summoned the Iraqi ambassador to relay Tehran’s “strong protest.”

An Iraqi protester gestures in front of the burnt Iranian Consulate in Basra, Iraq September 7, 2018. REUTERS/Essam al-Sudani – RC1E41001040

On Saturday, an Iraqi flag was placed at the entrance to the consulate after the Iranian one was torn down and set ablaze. Sprayed in red on the concrete wall of the consulate were the words: “Down with Iran, down with the militias, the revolution will continue.”

The U.S. State Department criticized the attack, without explicitly mentioning Iran. “The United States condemns violence against diplomats, including that which occurred today in Basra,” it said in a statement Friday.

The consulate, which handles visas for four southern governorates and issued between five to eight thousand tourism and medical visas a day through a travel agency located next to the embassy, stopped issuing visas.

The government-sanctioned Shiite militias known as the Popular Mobilization Forces — Hashed in Arabic — threatened retaliation Saturday, raising the specter of further escalation.

“We will have a response to those who are carrying out acts of arson and sabotage,” the militias’ commander, known as Abu Yasser al-Jaafari, told reporters in Basra.

Al-Jaafari said the lack of response thus far should not be taken as a sign of weakness. He spoke at the city’s presidential palaces compound, where Shiite paramilitary troops are stationed.

ATTENTION EDITORS – VISUAL COVERAGE OF SCENES OF INJURY OR DEATH Injured protesters lie in a hospital in Basra, Iraq September 8, 2018. REUTERS/Alaa al-Marjani – RC16A19FBEC0

On Thursday night, protesters had marched to the compound and tried to breach it. At least three cars driven by the troops ploughed into the protesters, killing one and wounding four others, according to a health official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to media.

Several burned cars were seen in the compound.

On Saturday morning, assailants fired three Katyusha rockets at Iraq’s Basra airport, which houses the U.S. consulate, adding to the tensions. An airport official said the attack did not cause casualties or disrupt flights in or out of the city. He spoke on condition of anonymity, citing security concerns.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility.

Security officials said they reopened partially the vital Umm Qasr port on the Persian Gulf on Saturday, after shutting down operations for several days amid concerns that protesters might try to storm it.

An Iraqi military spokesman, Brig. Gen. Yahya Rasool, said the military commander for Basra operations, Jamil al-Shumari, was replaced.

Young men in Basra said Saturday that they would continue protesting.

“We have no work, no money. Something needs to change,” said 18-year-old Mustafa Diaa, a jobless construction worker who said he has been taking part in the protests every day.

Diaa took part in torching the provincial government building two days earlier and returned to the scene on Saturday. He said he does not regret it and would do so again until something gives.

“They should change the government, provide job opportunities and fix the water. I’m not scared,” he said.

Passengers are seen at Basra airport after it was targeted by rocket fire in Basra, Iraq September 8, 2018. REUTERS/Essam al-Sudani – RC18DCB6FDE0

Basra, once known as the “Venice of the East” because of its freshwater canals, has been hit by an acute water crisis, including rising pollution and salt water levels. The city, where temperatures often approach 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit) during the summer, has also been crippled by electricity shortages.

Two hospital officials told The Associated Press that around 35,000 residents have been treated at hospitals as a result of water pollution in the past month. The water is so contaminated it cannot even be used for cooking or washing.

The protests began in June, tapered off, then restarted Monday after a surge in water poisoning cases.

Iraq’s government has scrambled to meet the growing demand for public services and jobs, but has been hindered by years of endemic corruption and a financial crisis fueled by diminished oil revenues and the costly war against the Islamic State group.

Basra’s streets are filled with pictures of young men from Shiite militias who were killed fighting against the Islamic State group in the past few years — a war that allowed the militias space to flourish and gain strength.

Many residents of the predominantly Shiite city now accuse Iranian-backed political parties of interfering in Iraqi politics. They blame the Shiite militias in their city for mismanagement and profiteering at their expense.

Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has ordered an investigation into the violence.

Iraq’s parliament held an emergency session Saturday to discuss the unrest in Basra which comes amid a political crisis in Baghdad, adding to overall tensions in the country.

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/security-forces-deploy-in-iraqs-basra-following-violence

ChuckFinley · September 8, 2018

3 hours ago, Pitcher said:

You just get the feeling from the articles that Sadr and Abadi want to do the right thing for their country. I hope they are given the opportunity without Iran, Maliki, and all the other goons that appear to want to thwart any progress.

Agree, they just need to get a little help from their friends and put these guys away.

Pitcher · September 8, 2018

In Strategic Iraqi City, a Week of Deadly Turmoil

BAGHDAD — Iraqi security forces stepped up patrols Saturday in the southern city of Basra, a strategically important oil port on the border with Iran where longstanding protests about quality of life have escalated into days of rioting and violence.

The predominantly Shiite city is among the poorest areas of Iraq, despite the huge nearby oil reserves that drive the national economy. Although Basra has escaped the terrorist violence that has racked the country for years, its population has struggled with its own set of problems: high unemployment, crumbling infrastructure and rampant organized crime groups with leaders linked to powerful Shiite militias.

The city sent tens of thousands of its young men to northern Iraq in 2014 to fight against the Islamic State. Now, as many of them have returned from battle to these same old problems, their anger has intensified, driven by a sense of frustration that their sacrifices at war haven’t come with tangible socioeconomic gains.

Since June, Basra residents have organized some of the largest street protests in years, demanding clean water, jobs and better infrastructure in a city that hosts a world-class stadium but where many residents live in crumbling dirt-brick houses in shantytowns.

As happened this past week, the protests sometimes turn violent, with mobs destroying symbols of Iraqi political power or other landmarks that drive their rage, like those associated with Iran, which bankrolls many of the Shiite political movements and militias. In the past few days, the offices of local political parties were burned. So was the provincial council building.

On Friday night, a mob shouting anti-Iran slogans rushed the perimeter of the sprawling Iranian consulate and burned the main gatehouse in which visitors register. Some of the protesters sprayed graffiti, and one wall read, “Down with Iran, down with the militias.”

Abu Al-Hassan Alaa, 17 years old, said that he and his friends were motivated to target the Iranian structure because they opposed Iranian political interference in Iraq.

“Iranian intervention in the affairs of our country is destroying Iraq,” he said.

The main consulate buildings remained undamaged, according to security officials.

American officials joined Iranians in condemning the attack.

Amid these violent street scenes, Iraqi security forces have opened fire. At least 15 people have died in the past week, and more than 200 were injured, according to local officials.

The unrest highlights the deep fractures within Iraq’s majority Shiite population and frustrations among society at large about what they see as ineptitude among their political leaders.

Laith Hani, 46, said protesters should not be blamed for the violence; instead, politicians should be held accountable for the poor quality of life.

“Vandalism started with these Shiite political parties,” Mr. Hani said. “They are to blame.”

In Baghdad, politicians scrambled for a response.

Elections in May saw the lowest turnout since 2005, and political parties are deadlocked in an attempt to build a majority coalition in Parliament, in part because the country’s major Shiite political factions have not agreed to work together.

This political battle has complicated the situation in Basra. Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, who is fighting to stay in his position, replaced the local security commander after an outcry over the deaths of protesters earlier in the week.

Shiite militias that belong to the government-sponsored Popular Mobilization Forces said they would also send men to quell the violence. The political faction that represents these militias hopes to choose the next prime minister candidate.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/08/world/middleeast/in-strategic-iraqi-city-a-week-of-deadly-turmoil.html

Officiallytook · September 8, 2018

Time to make some moves don't ya think

When it gets to the point of costing money wouldn't it be better to give the people purchasing power

Edited September 8, 2018 by Officiallytook

ChuckFinley · September 8, 2018

Better start taking care of them or it will get ugly.

Pitcher · September 9, 2018

Moqtada al-Sadr calls on Iraq PM to step down as Basra crisis deepens

Cleric makes demand as death toll from recent protests in Basra reaches 12 and southern city's airport is hit by rockets

Trying to hold onto his post in the next government, Abadi, right, had formed an alliance with Sadr, left

Shia cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, who had entered an alliance with Iraq's Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi following elections earlier this year, has called upon the premier to resign as deadly protests in the southern city of Basra worsen.

"We demand the government apologise to the people and resign immediately," said Hassan al-Aqouli, spokesman for Sadr's list, which won the most seats in May's poll.

Ahmed al-Assadi, spokesman for the second-largest list, Conquest Alliance, also called for Abadi's resignation, denouncing "the government's failure to resolve the crisis in Basra".

The call came as parliament met on Saturday for an emergency session to discuss the crisis in public services in the city after 12 protesters were killed this week, the Iranian consulate torched and its airport hit by rockets.

The meeting was originally demanded by Sadr, whose political bloc won the largest number of seats in May elections although a new government has yet to be formed.

Sadr had called on politicians to present "radical and immediate" solutions at Saturday's session or step down.

On Friday, Iraq's most senior Shia cleric, Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, called for a government to be urgently formed to resolve the crisis in Basra.

Abadi described the unrest as "political sabotage" as he joined the session along with several ministers, charging that "the question of public services" was being exploited for political ends.

His government has announced the allocation of an unspecified amount of extra funds for Basra, although demonstrators say that billions of dollars in emergency funding pledged in July has failed to materialise.

In a session attended by 172 deputies in the 329-seat house, Abadi traded barbs with Basra's governor, Asaad al-Eidani, who is also parliament speaker.

Iraqi officials have imposed a curfew on Basra starting at 4pm (1pm GMT) on Saturday, a military statement said.

Since Tuesday, demonstrators in Basra have set ablaze government buildings, the Iranian consulate and the offices of pro-Tehran militias and political parties.

The anger flared after the hospitalisation of 30,000 people who had drunk polluted water, in an oil-rich region where residents have for weeks complained of water and electricity shortages, corruption among officials and unemployment.

At least 12 demonstrators have been killed and 50 wounded in clashes with security forces, according to the interior ministry.

Airport and Iranian consulate attacked

Hours before parliament met, four rockets fired by unidentified assailants struck inside the perimeter of the Basra airport, security sources said.

Staff at the airport, which is located near the US consulate in Basra, said flights were not affected.

The attack came after a day of rage in the southern city, where hundreds of protesters stormed the fortified Iranian consulate, causing no casualties but sparking condemnation.

Abadi said he had instructed security forces to "act decisively against the acts of vandalism that accompanied the demonstrations".

Iraq's Joint Operations Command, which includes the army and police, vowed a "severe" response with "exceptional security measures", including a ban on protests and group travel.

The foreign ministry called the attack on the consulate "an unacceptable act undermining the interests of Iraq and its international relations".

Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Ghassemi denounced the "savage attack", Iran's Fars news agency reported.

A spokesman for the consulate said that all diplomats and staff had been evacuated from the building before the protesters attacked, and that nobody was hurt.

Iran's ambassador to Iraq, Iraj Masjedi, said the consulate was "totally demolished" and charged that "foreign agents close to the US, Zionists and some Arab countries are trying to sabotage Iran-Iraq relations", Iran's ILNA news agency reported.

'Sick and abandoned'

The wave of protests first broke out in Basra in July before spreading to other parts of the country, with demonstrators condemning corruption among Iraqi officials and demanding jobs.

Since then, at least 27 people have been killed nationwide.

"We're thirsty, we're hungry, we are sick and abandoned," protester Ali Hussein told the AFP news agency on Friday in Basra after another night of violence.

"Demonstrating is a sacred duty and all honest people ought to join."

The anger on Basra's streets was "in response to the government's intentional policy of neglect", the head of the region's human rights council Mehdi al-Tamimi said.

Iraq has been struggling to rebuild its infrastructure and economy after decades of bloody conflicts, including an eight-year war with Iran in the 1980s, the US-led invasion of 2003 and the battle against the Islamic State group.

In August, the oil ministry announced that crude exports for August had hit their highest monthly figure this year, with nearly 112 million barrels of oil bringing $7.7bn to state coffers.

Iraq, however, suffers from persistent corruption and many Iraqis complain that the country's oil wealth is unfairly distributed.

Parliament said deputies would hear speeches by Abadi and key ministers and discuss the water contamination crisis, the latest breakdown in public services to spark public anger.

Two months ago, Abadi pledged a multi-billion dollar emergency plan to revive infrastructure and services in southern Iraq, one of the country's most marginalised regions.

Trying to hold onto his post in the next government, Abadi had formed an alliance with Sadr, a former militia chief who has called for Iraq to have greater political independence from both neighbouring Iran and the United States.

https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/moqtada-al-sadr-calls-iraq-pm-step-down-basra-crisis-deepens-622380245

Pitcher · September 9, 2018

Looks like Sadr is going to be a little Iranian rat. If Abadi goes it may not be good for an RV anytime soon. Just my opinion.

SupraRacer · September 9, 2018

57 minutes ago, Pitcher said:

Looks like Sadr is going to be a little Iranian rat. If Abadi goes it may not be good for an RV anytime soon. Just my opinion.

I can't see Sadr saying this at all. After all the discussions between them after the elections that Sadr would have this kind of attitude toward Abadi. This sounds like something Malarky and his ilk would say and stir up. They are both pro Iraqi and anti Iranian. So I think the bigger issue is getting Iran out of Iraq by all mean available. The protesters from what I see are angry at Iran the most and are attempting to get the GOI to do something about it. If the GOI would quit all the in-fighting and start working then maybe things will start to turn.

As I see it Iran, Malarky and their underlings are stirring up the pot hoping to keep their feet in Iraq. As we saw the people spoke loudly with the elections and they are just wanting to have the GOI to start doing what they elected them for and not the SSDD routine. :twocents:

SR

Pitcher · September 9, 2018

I agree 100% about Iran and Maliki stirring up problems for Iraq. I stated this right after it was announced that Maliki and his followers didn’t form the biggest block. I said watch for the intensity of the protests to increase. Sure enough look what we have now.

I’m just really surprised by this article and Sadr’s statement. I’m sure we’ll get many more articles on this subject. If it is true and Abadi becomes the scapegoat and has to step down it won’t be good imo. I don’t trust Sadr, he is not an USA ally.

SupraRacer · September 9, 2018

6 minutes ago, Pitcher said:

I agree 100% about Iran and Maliki stirring up problems for Iraq. I stated this right after it was announced that Maliki and his followers didn’t form the biggest block. I said watch for the intensity of the protests to increase. Sure enough look what we have now.

I’m just really surprised by this article and Sadr’s statement. I’m sure we’ll get many more articles on this subject. If it is true and Abadi becomes the scapegoat and has to step down it won’t be good imo. I don’t trust Sadr, he is not an USA ally.

True Pitcher. I would hate to see Abadi be bullied out after he put so much work into bringing Iraq back from ISIS and all the other progress he made. As the liberals say never let a crisis go to waste. So again we wait and see what happens next.

SR

trident · September 9, 2018

US restricts movement in Iraq’s Baghdad, Basra for September

Sangar Ali |

2 hours ago

US restricts movement in Iraq’s Baghdad, Basra for September

Shia Muslims commemorate Ashura in Kerbala, Iraq ,October 12, 2016. (Photo: Alaa Al-Marjani/Reuters)

Iraq Basra Baghdad Protest US Embassy

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The US Mission in Iraq is restricting its movements in the country’s major cities and advises Americans to avoid traveling to Iraq throughout the month September as religious events are set to take place, and protests over the lack of public services and corruption continue.

“The United States Mission in Iraq is restricting its movements during the month-long celebration of the Muslim holiday Muharram, particularly around the commemoration of Ashura, on Tuesday, September 18 through Friday, September 21 due to expected road closures and unpredictable crowds,” read the statement issued late Saturday evening by the US Embassy in Baghdad.

The security alert also coincides with protests resuming in the capital and the oil-rich city of Basra, located in the south of the country, over the lack of public services and widespread corruption in state institutions as Iraqi lawmakers have yet to form a new government.

Over the past week-long demonstrations in Basra, 15 people were killed and 190 more wounded in clashes with security forces, according to Iraq’s Ministry of Health.

“In addition, some protests in Basrah [Basra] have turned violent, leading to deaths and injuries to protesters and security forces. US government employees in Basrah are generally avoiding any area where demonstrations could occur, including the Basrah central business district,” the US embassy’s statement added.

In the past few months, radical Iraqi Shia militias backed by neighboring Iran have repeatedly threatened US troops in the country, urging Iraqi Prime Minister, Haider al-Abadi, to order the withdrawal of the foreign forces or face being treated as “occupying forces.”

“We will deal with them [foreign troops in Iraq] as occupying forces, and we will exercise our legitimate rights by using all possible means to force them out of the country,” ten Iraqi Shia militia groups said in a joint statement issued on Sep. 4.

The US currently has some 5,200 troops in the country that were deployed as part of the US-led coalition following the emergence of the Islamic State (IS) in 2014 in northern Iraq.

Editing by Nadia Riva

Butifldrm · September 9, 2018

The US Embassy warns its citizens in Basra to move inside the province during Muharram

BAGHDAD - The US embassy in Iraq on Sunday called on US consular staff in Basra to avoid moving around the province.

"The United States Mission in Iraq is restricting its movements during the month of Muharram, especially for Ashura, from September 18 to Friday, September 21, due to the expected closure of roads and unanticipated crowds," the embassy said. Basra has turned violent, killing and wounding demonstrators and security forces and US government officials in Basra generally avoid moving in any area where there can be demonstrations, including the central business district of the province. Finished

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https://www.iraqpressagency.com/?p=284920

yota691 · September 9, 2018

After Basra .. Iran expects to attack its consulate in Karbala

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After Basra .. Iran expects to attack its consulate in Karbala

09-09-2018 01:02 PM

The Euphrates -

The Iranian Consul General in the city of Karbala Mir Masoud Hosseinian expected his consulate in the city to be attacked by the demonstrators in the same way as the Iranian consulate in the southern province of Basra last night.

"There are indications that there is a plan to target the Iranian consulate in the province of Karbala," Hosseinian said in an interview with the Iranian news website rouydad24. "Documents and documents were transferred from the consulate."

"The consul in Karbala said that his country's consulate in this province is still under threat because of the tense situation in Iraq. Therefore, since morning and in coordination with the Iraqi authorities, we have moved documents from this building."

As for the Iranian government's intention to prevent its citizens from traveling to Karbala this year to participate in the fortieth visit which falls next October, Hosseinian said: "Can not answer now, and cancel the visit Ashura and forty is decided on time by the government authorities in Tehran."

The Iranian Foreign Ministry condemned Friday its consulate in Basra for burning by angry demonstrators over Tehran's role in Iraq.

The Iranian foreign ministry called on Iraqi ambassador to Tehran Rajih al-Moussawi to protest the incident, calling on the Iraqi government to protect diplomatic missions and arrest those involved in the attack on the Iranian consulate in Basra.

yota691 · September 9, 2018

The crowd "rises" to Abadi .. Khafali demands to be tried

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The crowd "rises" to Abadi .. Khafali demands to be tried

09-09-2018 11:24 AM

The Euphrates -

The popular crowd, on Saturday evening, open war, against the Prime Minister Haider Abadi, starting from the events that took place in Basra on Friday, stressing that 'started to respond to what is happening in Basra and that what has not been done by the demonstrators,' according to the words of the leader In the popular crowd, Abu Mahdi Engineer.

The Engineer said that Abbadi did not fulfill most of his promises to the crowd and deliberately obstructed his own law. He added: 'What he did to isolate Faleh Fayyad from three positions is a strange and dangerous step and register our objection to them.'

He considered that Abadi and his government failed miserably during the previous phase and the most important in the file services.

He also said: 'The victories in the past four years does not return to the headquarters of the Prime Minister, and added' we are not interested in renewing my slaves. '

He accused the United States of involvement in what happened in Basra, saying: The Americans threatened that they would burn Basra if the mandate is not renewed to the Prime Minister.

For his part, demanded the Secretary General of Asaib Ahl al-Haq 'Qais al-Khazali' to try the prime minister as commander-in-chief of the armed forces.

"It is not enough to dismiss the chief of operations and the police chief," Khazali said in a tweet through his Twitter account on Saturday night. "Those who gave orders to them, which caused security chaos, should be dismissed and brought to the military court."

It is noteworthy that my list 'open' of the popular crowd and 'Vsun' backed by the leader of the Sadrist movement, Moqtada al-Sadr, demanded earlier Saturday the government of Abadi to resign, on the back of failure to manage the file in the province of Basra.

NEPatriotsFan1 · September 9, 2018

3 minutes ago, yota691 said:

The Engineer said that Abbadi did not fulfill most of his promises to the crowd and deliberately obstructed his own law. He added: 'What he did to isolate Faleh Fayyad from three positions is a strange and dangerous step and register our objection to them.'

This language “the engineer” tells me that this is engineered or manufactured and as we know a lot of these news papers are owned or majority owned by Malaki or affiliates.......

Abadi needs to pull a rabbit out of his hat quick or this has the potential to unravel very quickly

Thanks Yota and Buti!

Have a great rest of the weekend DV

Butifldrm · September 9, 2018

Abadi ended his failure to fuel sedition

The political scene Sunday, September 09, 2018 at 12: 18 pm (1024 views)

Baghdad / Sky Press

Ali Bishara

The leader of the Dawa party, Salim al-Hassani, wrote a post on his Facebook page explaining that Abadi's second term was over in America's eyes.

Al-Hasani said in his blog: Abadi has expired after the failure of the scheme to fuel sedition from Basra.

He added: This is America employs people for a specific task Abadi was involved in sedition and burned his ambition.

Al-Hasani concluded: God saved Basra and all of Iraq from the staff of the embassy.

Keywords:

http://www.skypressiq.net/2018/9/9/انتهت-صلاحية-العبادي-بعد-فشله-بتأجيج-الفتنة

Butifldrm · September 9, 2018

Special Basri: Activists carried out vandalism in Basra

Special Basri: Activists carried out vandalism in Basra

38 views

09/09/2018

Baghdad

The independent politician accused Mohammed al-Basri, on Sunday, some activists in Basra to ride demonstrations and the recent cases of vandalism. "

Basri said in an exclusive interview that "some activists in Basra go on a daily basis to the US consulate and Saudi Arabia in the province in order to take orders to implement during peaceful demonstrations demanding legitimate rights."

Al-Basri pointed out that "these activists are the riots and vandalism that occurred in the province during the popular demonstrations."

Edit .. علي كريم أذهيب

http://aletejahtv.com/archives/252708

KristiD · September 9, 2018

This can't be good. Just when we think Iraq might be close to getting it all together and finally move forward, BAM! slammed down again!! 😞 https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/moqtada-al-sadr-calls-iraq-pm-step-down-basra-crisis-deepens-622380245

Muqtada al-Sadr calls on Iraq PM to step down as Basra crisis deepens

#InsideIraq

Cleric makes demand as death toll from recent protests in Basra reaches 12 and southern city's airport is hit by rockets

Trying to hold onto his post in the next government, Abadi, right, had formed an alliance with Sadr, left (AFP)

MEE and agencies

Saturday 8 September 2018 15:29 UTC

Last update:

Sunday 9 September 2018 4:22 UTC

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Topics:

InsideIraq

Tags:

Iraq, Haider Abadi, Moqtada al-Sadr, Basra

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Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, who had entered an alliance with Iraq's Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi following elections earlier this year, has called upon the premier to resign as deadly protests in the southern city of Basra worsen.