Iraqi’s Angry Protestors Return

[Pitcher]

Iraqi demonstrators started on Thursday morning to close several roads and traffic intersections and burn tires in Basra province, south to denounce the mechanism of choosing a candidate to form the next government, local witnesses said. The

German news agency, DPA quoted the witnesses as saying that angry demonstrators have started since the early morning hours to cut off the commercial intersection and burnt tires and prevented the passage of vehicles and citizens.

Read: The significance of the veiled Knesset member

According to the sources, the intersection is critical in the province. It leads to a group of important roads such as the demonstrations square in the navy yard, the military hospital, Basra Court of First

Instance and Basra General Traffic Directorate. The witnesses said the protesters chanted slogans demanding the fulfilment of their demands including expediting the nomination of an independent candidate to form the next government.

The Iraqi security forces were deployed in the province’s streets, calling on the protesters to retreat to the central demonstrations square, reopen closed roads, and restore the movement of vehicles.

 

https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200306-iraqs-angry-protesters-returns-to-the-streets/

 

[Pitcher]

These people are extremely motivated.  You have to give it to them to be marching in the streets in close quarters with the CV outbreak.  They are holding the Politicians feet to the fire.  This is exactly what is needed imo.  Politicians fear a mob of people who are carrying clubs and pitchforks.  Hoorah for their bravery.  

[siberian_shaddow]

Agreed Pitcher, these people have had many years of harsh times, with war and corruption, murder, displacement, terrorism. And yet they stand united my hats off to them, they deserve respect and should be given what there asking for. Hopefully it doesn't turn violent, but maybe this time there words won't fall on deaf ears and just maybe they will form the correct government for the people fingers crossed. 

[Benelli]

I wish they would become better organized and have a strong leader emerge that could articulate a unified message to the GOI and media. Regardless, seeing them back in the streets is encouraging.

[Hotcurl]

GO Protesters !!

 

They (the protesters) seem to be the only thing that the Iranian Puppets in Iraq fear and respond to.

I hope Maliki, Sadr and the rest of the Puppet show, all take a road trip to Tehran to "lick the wall" for a nice "fresh" Corona .... 

Semper Fi

Go Protesters !!

Go Demonstrators !!

Go RV  !!

[gregp]

They need to start burning complexes. 
That gets attention. Like mass burnings all over the country at once. 

[Calijim]

13 hours ago, gregp said:

They need to start burning complexes. 
That gets attention. Like mass burnings all over the country at once. 

Maybe like Iranian puppet assets.

[Laid Back]

The only way to get their demands fulfilled is to keep the pressure on the streets.

 

Go protesters 

Go demands 

Go purchasing power 

[ronscarpa]

Iraqi’s Angry Protestors Return By Pitcher

On 3/6/2020 at 3:19 PM, Pitcher said:

These people are extremely motivated.  You have to give it to them to be marching in the streets in close quarters with the CV outbreak.  They are holding the Politicians feet to the fire.  This is exactly what is needed imo.  Politicians fear a mob of people who are carrying clubs and pitchforks.  Hoorah for their bravery.  

 

Thanks for the article Pitcher, and your comments...!

 

On 3/6/2020 at 3:45 PM, siberian_shaddow said:

Agreed Pitcher, these people have had many years of harsh times, with war and corruption, murder, displacement, terrorism. And yet they stand united my hats off to them, they deserve respect and should be given what there asking for. Hopefully it doesn't turn violent, but maybe this time there words won't fall on deaf ears and just maybe they will form the correct government for the people fingers crossed. 

 

On 3/6/2020 at 3:57 PM, Benelli said:

I wish they would become better organized and have a strong leader emerge that could articulate a unified message to the GOI and media. Regardless, seeing them back in the streets is encouraging.

 

On 3/6/2020 at 5:04 PM, Hotcurl said:

GO Protesters !!

They (the protesters) seem to be the only thing that the Iranian Puppets in Iraq fear and respond to.

I hope Maliki, Sadr and the rest of the Puppet show, all take a road trip to Tehran to "lick the wall" for a nice "fresh" Corona ....

 

Thanks S_Shadow, Benelli and Hotcurl for your comments...!

[DinarThug]

 

LINK

Researcher: Iran will deploy "Corona" among the demonstrators to extend its influence in Iraq

 

 

 

8th March, 2020

 

 

The Iraqi researcher affirmed the meeting in Mecca on Sunday that the Islamic Republic of Iran will try to spread the Corona virus among the demonstrators in order to restore influence in Iraq.

"Iran's influence in Iraq was cracked after the killing of General Qassem Soleimani," Makki said in a tweet on his personal page on Twitter, followed by "Al-Akhbariya," stressing that "today Iran wants to restore its influence from the gate of the new Corona epidemic."

He added, "I have absolutely no doubt that Iran will spread the epidemic, especially among the protesters, to have the opportunity to return its influence under the pretext of helping to confront it," stressing that it "wants to turn the crisis into an opportunity, just as ISIS has happened before."

[DinarThug]

Power vacuum in Iraq leads to threats from pro-Iran faction

 

Hassan Ali Ahmed    March 5, 2020

 

BAGHDAD — The post of prime minister in Iraq is proving to be a tough gig.

 

Mohammed Tawfiq Allawi, who was designated to become prime minister with the support of pro-Iranian forces in Iraq, withdrew his candidacy March 2 after he failed to form a government within the constitutionally mandated 30-day deadline. Now those forces are looking back over their shoulders at caretaker Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi, thinking he might be their best hope to retain influence in Iraq. However, Abdul Mahdi said March 2 that he is taking a voluntary absence from the post.

Allawi’s failure resulted from a large front that formed against him and his supporters in parliament. Allawi only had the support of the Iran-affiliated Fatah Alliance —- the political wing of the Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) — and, initially, the erratic cleric Muqtada al-Sadr’s Sairoon Alliance. The rest of the Iraqi political groups — including Kurdish members of parliament, the majority of Sunnis and the rest of the Shiite parties — all were united against Allawi.

Allawi’s rejection raised concern among the PMU's pro-Iranian factions, leading them to threaten to burn the country if the political parties nominate a pro-American prime minister.

“Some are trying to nominate candidates for the prime minister position who are accused of being involved in the [Jan. 3] US assassination of [Iranian Quds Force] commander Qasem Soleimani and PMU commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis. This is a declaration of war against Iraqi people that will burn what remains of Iraq,” Abu Ali al-Askari, spokesman for Iran-affiliated Shiite militia Kataib Hezbollah, tweeted March 2.

This is seen as a threat to ignite a civil war in Iraq if the PMU doesn't hold sway over the prime minister position.

The head of Al-Mada news, Fakhry Karim, an influential figure in Iraqi Kurdistan, posted on his Facebook page, “A militiaman threatened via a tweet to start a war against Iraq. … Iraq will not be held hostage" to outside influences.

As the PMU’s plan for preserving its influence through Allawi’s Cabinet has failed, it is taking another look at Abdul Mahdi, hoping to keep him in power. Abdul Mahdi, who has strong ties to Iran, originally was chosen as prime minister in October 2018. He was considered a compromise candidate and struggled to form a Cabinet. In November, he resigned (pending the ratification of a new prime minister) under pressure from some Shiite religious leaders and mass protests against government corruption and Iranian influence.

Askari also said that following Allawi's withdrawal, “The best option is to keep Abdul Mahdi in the prime minister's office. The only obstacle against him is the religious authority view that led to his resignation. This can be changed now.”

Abdul-Mahdi, although he had said he would leave office if his successor was not ratified by March 2, said that instead he will take a voluntary absence and hand over his duties to the head of his office, Abu Jihad al-Hashimy, and some of his Cabinet members.

This is a tactic to prevent President Barham Salih from taking on the duties of the prime minister, as the Iraqi Constitution allows. The Iraqi president met March 3 with a number of Iraqi political leaders to seek consensus on a new candidate.

Al-Monitor has learned from several sources in the Iraqi parliament who asked to remain anonymous that prior to Askari’s tweet, former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, the head of the State of Law coalition, held a meeting attended by all Shiite political leaders, including Ammar al-Hakim, Hadi al-Amiri and PMU head Faleh Fayadh, and they agreed to nominate a candidate accepted by Kurds and Sunnis to avoid creating more division in the country.

A source affiliated with the Fatah Alliance told Al-Monitor that Askari’s tweet was a reaction from a minority group in the PMU to the Shiite political leaders' meeting. Askari's Kataib Hezbollah is thought to be under the direct control of the elite Quds Force unit of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

Also on March 2, former Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi — Mohammed Tawfiq Allawi's cousin — accused Ali Akbar Velayati, senior adviser to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, of interfering in Iraqi internal affairs. Ayad Allawi said Velayati had imposed his views on Mohammed Tawfiq Allawi during the latter's Cabinet selection, which led the majority of Iraqi political parties to reject his choices.

Ayad Allawi also praised the role of protesters and some of Iraq's national leaders, such as Massoud Barzani, head of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), who did not hesitate to stand against the proposed Cabinet.

Barzani issued a statement thanking all Iraqi national leaders who he said supported democracy in Iraq by rejecting the Cabinet, which Barzani said could have resulted in more crises and political disasters.

This all is happening in conjunction with a sharp division among PMU factions.

The PMU appointed Abu Fadak al-Mohammadawi, a former Kataib Hezbollah military leader, as PMU chief of staff in place of the slain Muhandis. However, this decision was rejected immediately by four PMU factions — known as the "shrine units" and aligned with powerful Iraqi Shiite cleric Ali al-Sistani — who oppose Iran's influence.

Askari had warned previously that his group would target any Iraqis working with US troops in the country beginning March 15. On March 3, he published a list of such alleged figures.

The Iraqi Intelligence Service has warned Kataib Hezbollah that it will take legal action against the group if it continues to threaten Iraqi figures.

Found in:CORRUPTION AND NEPOTISM, ARMED MILITIAS AND EXTREMIST GROUPS, IRAQI ELECTIONS

Hassan Ali Ahmed is an Iraqi academic who focuses on Iraq’s international relations and foreign policy.

Read more: LINK

[ronscarpa]

11 minutes ago, DinarThug said:

Researcher: Iran will deploy "Corona" among the demonstrators to extend its influence in Iraq

 

9 minutes ago, DinarThug said:

Power vacuum in Iraq leads to threats from pro-Iran faction

 

Thanks for these articles Thug ... concerned that Iran might regain it's foothold in Iraq..! 

[MyLadiesDaddy]

On 3/8/2020 at 1:04 PM, ronscarpa said:

 

 

Thanks for these articles Thug ... concerned that Iran might regain it's foothold in Iraq..! 

Thank you