..Iraqis step up protest in job and food crisis

[DesertEagle]

NewsWorldwideEurope..Iraqis step up protest in job and food crisis

Nizar Latif

Last Updated: Feb 6, 2011

BAGHDAD // Protesters who stormed government buildings and a police station in a small, poor southern Iraqi town on Thursday continued their demonstrations yesterday, despite a crackdown by security forces.

Angry residents in Hamza, in Diwaniya province, 180 kilometres south of Baghdad, took to the streets for a third day yesterday after protests over shortages of power, food and jobs, as well as political corruption, turned violent.

According to demonstrators, at least one was shot and killed and another four were injured on Thursday when security men opened fire after the crowd tried to storm a police station. Officials in Hamza confirmed four people had been wounded but denied any deaths. They said police had been forced to respond after protesters threw stones and petrol bombs at them.

"There will be a revolution of the hungry and the jobless in Iraq, just as there was in Egypt," said Abu Ali, who helped organise the demonstration.

"It was a march by the unemployed, by those who have lost hope and who see [the prime minister] Nouri al Maliki and the new government becoming another dictatorship," he said.

The main road between Hamza and Diwaniya city, the provincial capital, was blockaded on Friday, with protesters manning barricades of burning tyres stopping traffic.

Diwaniya has a majority Shiite population and is one of Iraq's poorest provinces but it is by no means unique in suffering from unemployment, shortage of electricity and prohibitively expensive prices of drinking water. Residents say little has changed for the better in the eight years since Saddam Hussein was overthrown. Some complain the situation is worse because government-provided food rations are being cut, leaving the poorest families unable to feed themselves properly. There is also growing disillusionment with politicians, both on the local council and in Baghdad, widely accused of enriching themselves while doing nothing for the masses.

"We see the politicians on television awarding themselves US$100 million [Dh367m] to buy armoured cars for their safety, yet we get nothing," said Rashid Abd Ali, an unemployed man who took part in the protests. "We protested today and we will keep protesting until the government listens and takes action," said Mr Ali, who has eight dependents.

Influential Islamic scholars used Friday prayers to convey a similar message, warning Iraq's politicians that, while elected, they should not consider themselves immune to the kind of popular demonstrations seen in Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen and Jordan.

"All governments, even democracies, must study the main reasons that have led to this public anger against their regimes, which started in Tunisia," said Abdul Mahdi al Karbalai, a representative of Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani.

"A lot has changed in Iraq ... but there is no social justice," he said.

The revolt in Hamza reflected nationwide anger at service shortages and perceived government failures, said Karima al Jawari, an MP with the Iraqiyya bloc. She warned that unrest could rapidly spread nationwide and, with protests in the Husseineyah district of Baghdad, also over poor services, there were indications that the process has begun.

"Iraq is boiling and it could blow up at any moment," she said.

"There needs to be a rapid response to these issues, jobs need to be created and there must be fast improvements in public services, otherwise Iraq will see revolution.

"The people are sending their message to the prime minister, to Ayad Allawi [iraqiyya's leader] and all of the politicians that we must pay immediate attention to their needs."

In Diwaniya, a local university professor, Nidal al Sarmad, who also took part in the protests, said anger towards the government was "swelling in the chests of Iraqis" and that a nationwide revolution was "close at hand".

"The people feel they have been deceived, they are frustrated," he said. "The change the Americans brought has brought us a new set of thieves, a new set of dictators, not justice and freedom."

Opponents of Nouri al Maliki, the prime minister, have accused him of destroying Iraq's fledgling democracy after taking over control of previously independent institutions, including the organisation charged with running national elections. He also retains personal control over the ministries of defence, interior and national security, as yet failing to appoint ministers to these positions. Next page

http://www.thenational.ae/news/worldwide/middle-east/iraqis-step-up-protest-in-job-and-food-crisis

[Soldiering4U]

All this disruption in the ME reminds me of something I read once in an old book some of you have read it too it is called the "Holy Bible" sounds like the last book is coming true...

[behaviorkat]

Nice post! thank you! Lets hope the Gov can get a lot of work done!

[Nelson0528]

NewsWorldwideEurope..Iraqis step up protest in job and food crisis

Nizar Latif

Last Updated: Feb 6, 2011

BAGHDAD // Protesters who stormed government buildings and a police station in a small, poor southern Iraqi town on Thursday continued their demonstrations yesterday, despite a crackdown by security forces.

Angry residents in Hamza, in Diwaniya province, 180 kilometres south of Baghdad, took to the streets for a third day yesterday after protests over shortages of power, food and jobs, as well as political corruption, turned violent.

According to demonstrators, at least one was shot and killed and another four were injured on Thursday when security men opened fire after the crowd tried to storm a police station. Officials in Hamza confirmed four people had been wounded but denied any deaths. They said police had been forced to respond after protesters threw stones and petrol bombs at them.

"There will be a revolution of the hungry and the jobless in Iraq, just as there was in Egypt," said Abu Ali, who helped organise the demonstration.

"It was a march by the unemployed, by those who have lost hope and who see [the prime minister] Nouri al Maliki and the new government becoming another dictatorship," he said.

The main road between Hamza and Diwaniya city, the provincial capital, was blockaded on Friday, with protesters manning barricades of burning tyres stopping traffic.

Diwaniya has a majority Shiite population and is one of Iraq's poorest provinces but it is by no means unique in suffering from unemployment, shortage of electricity and prohibitively expensive prices of drinking water. Residents say little has changed for the better in the eight years since Saddam Hussein was overthrown. Some complain the situation is worse because government-provided food rations are being cut, leaving the poorest families unable to feed themselves properly. There is also growing disillusionment with politicians, both on the local council and in Baghdad, widely accused of enriching themselves while doing nothing for the masses.

"We see the politicians on television awarding themselves US$100 million [Dh367m] to buy armoured cars for their safety, yet we get nothing," said Rashid Abd Ali, an unemployed man who took part in the protests. "We protested today and we will keep protesting until the government listens and takes action," said Mr Ali, who has eight dependents.

Influential Islamic scholars used Friday prayers to convey a similar message, warning Iraq's politicians that, while elected, they should not consider themselves immune to the kind of popular demonstrations seen in Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen and Jordan.

"All governments, even democracies, must study the main reasons that have led to this public anger against their regimes, which started in Tunisia," said Abdul Mahdi al Karbalai, a representative of Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani.

"A lot has changed in Iraq ... but there is no social justice," he said.

The revolt in Hamza reflected nationwide anger at service shortages and perceived government failures, said Karima al Jawari, an MP with the Iraqiyya bloc. She warned that unrest could rapidly spread nationwide and, with protests in the Husseineyah district of Baghdad, also over poor services, there were indications that the process has begun.

"Iraq is boiling and it could blow up at any moment," she said.

"There needs to be a rapid response to these issues, jobs need to be created and there must be fast improvements in public services, otherwise Iraq will see revolution.

"The people are sending their message to the prime minister, to Ayad Allawi [iraqiyya's leader] and all of the politicians that we must pay immediate attention to their needs."

In Diwaniya, a local university professor, Nidal al Sarmad, who also took part in the protests, said anger towards the government was "swelling in the chests of Iraqis" and that a nationwide revolution was "close at hand".

"The people feel they have been deceived, they are frustrated," he said. "The change the Americans brought has brought us a new set of thieves, a new set of dictators, not justice and freedom."

Opponents of Nouri al Maliki, the prime minister, have accused him of destroying Iraq's fledgling democracy after taking over control of previously independent institutions, including the organisation charged with running national elections. He also retains personal control over the ministries of defence, interior and national security, as yet failing to appoint ministers to these positions. Next page

Mr al Maliki yesterday pledged he would not run for a third term. He said he would seek to amend the constitution so that all prime ministers would be limited to two terms.

http://www.thenational.ae/news/worldwide/middle-east/iraqis-step-up-protest-in-job-and-food-crisis

I added page two, in blue. Essentially a one-liner; but, interesting last few words to the article. WIll it be enough?... we'll see...

Thanks for the post Desert Eagle!!

Edited February 5, 2011 by Nelson0528

[deenar]

I see this as a good thing. It's about time the Iraqi citizens get mad at these clowns. This may actually get the lazy arse GOI to get things done. A RV just might save the day.

[Ateam]

It is good for the people to show their distrust and anger towards the government. The problem is that if the GOI does not take action fast enough it could be bad news for dinar investors.

[bagdaddy]

Do not dispair with this news. It could be the primer to get the RV going. I worked in Iraq training IC's (Iraqi citizens). The PM is not a hero nor is the government trusted. Like one IC told me, "We got rid of one Saddam for 100." The people are feed up with the politics and posturing. All these people want is a modern life. They look at their Kuwait brothers to the south with great envy. Every single Iraqi I talked to understands the imortance of what America has given them, however, do not expect a check or a thank-you. If the RV was scheduled for next week there maybe a delay. The politicians are learning the same lesson we sent our politicians this past election: to govern in a democracy you must have the conscent of the governed.

Quick story: Ahmed (ack-med) was going to marry the shiek's daughter. As a condition of marriage he had to provide three things- a house, a toilet, and a fraizer (the Iraqi pronunciation of the English refridgerator). The house was no problem. Concrete blocks and mud was easy to come-by. He solicited my help for the last two. He said if he didn't get a fraizer by next week he would have to alli baba the DFAC (dining - facility) walk-in fraizer. I said this would get me fired since I sign at the ECP everyday for my IC's. So I agreed to buy him the bar style fraizers sold in the PX. A letter from Garrison Command allowed the fraizer over the wire. The next day Ahmed inquired of the porcelain convenience. I said that would be absolutely impossible because the AMC (Army Materials Command) does not give up the porcelan god. "And besides, you don't have any plumbing out in the desert. No running water." Still determined, he convinced me to go to the dump (the most cherished site on base) for a cracked camode. Super glue and J B weld sealed the marriage.

[elv780]

The iraqi people have waited a long time. I cannot imagine living my life in fear and without basic neccessities.

Edited February 5, 2011 by elv780

[hardmoney1]

The iraqi people have waited a long time. I cannot imagine living my life in fear and without basic neccessities.

I'm with you on this one. I have thought many times what life would be like IF the basic necessities of food, water and shelter took 12 hours a day to secure!! Many billions face this everyday!

I was struck the other day how well our "just in time" shipping and stocking of all shelves at stores takes place. I was in ___Mart, and noticed that all products were neat and at the front of all the shelves. We all know the shelves are 3-4 feet deep, and they "LOOK FULL". Well, I was buying MORE than I normally do - this time, 6 round containers of oatmeal, and was shocked to realize that was it - the entire contents of the shelf (6 containers of oatmeal) !!!! I was deceived in thinking that the whole shelf was full. I peered behind the others and realized the same was true! THAT IS WHY THEY EXPEND SO MUCH TIME KEEPING THE PRODUCTS AT THE FRONT OF THE SHELVES.

Just think if 3 families wanted oatmeal the same time I did. WE ARE AT THE MERCY OF the brilliant PHD that came up with the "Just in TIME" manufacturing, shipping and delivery. ANY disruption due to shortages, fuel costs, strikes, etc., etc., can have a huge impact on your food supply.

Pick up a little bit more on each trip - so you have some in case of emergency!