At least thirteen anti-government protestors have been killed by Iraqi security forces across the country in the past twenty-four hours, as live gunfire is being employed again in an attempt to end the demonstrations (Reuters)
Iraq Protests Escalate With Iran Consulate Attack
Three people were killed and twelve others wounded in clashes between Iraqi security forces and anti-government protesters who tried to storm the Iranian consulate in the central city of Karbala, according to the country’s human rights commission (Reuters)
Iraq’s Prime Minister Agrees to Resign, Says President
After weeks of anti-government protests, President Barham Salih announced that Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi will step down if political parties are able to agree on a successor (CNN)
He also said his office will draft a new electoral law and overhaul the country’s election commission, as a precursor to new elections (Washington Post)
Iraq’s latest round of protests, which began early last month, have decried high unemployment and government corruption. More than 250 people have died in the demonstrations. The head of Iran’s elite Quds Force, part of the Revolutionary Guard Corps, reportedly traveled to Baghdad this week to try to prevent Abdul-Mahdi’s ouster (Reuters)
Protests in Iraq Grow Larger
Tens of thousands of protesters gathered in Tahir Square in Baghdad for a fifth consecutive day, following violent crackdowns in the city of Karbala yesterday where eighteen demonstrators were killed and 865 others were injured by Iraqi security forces (Reuters)
Gunmen Attack Protestors in Iraq
Masked gunmen killed eighteen people at anti-government protests in the central city of Karbala, in one of the deadliest attacks since demonstrations began early this month (Associated Press)
More Than Sixty Dead in Iraq Security Crackdown
Sixty-three people died over the weekend in a crackdown by security forces against ongoing anti-government protests, according to the semi-official Iraq High Commission for Human Rights (Al Jazeera)
Iraqi Military Denies U.S. Permission for Long-term Presence
The Iraqi military released a statement yesterday denying the United States permission to stage campaigns from western Iraq against the Islamic State. Defense Secretary Mark Esper said that the military’s goal is not to remain in Iraq indefinitely, but noted that the details of a long-term plan have not been established (Reuters)
Nearly 150 Protestors Killed in Iraq in October
An Iraqi government committee found that 149 civilians were killed during a wave of protests that began on October 1 when security forces used live fire and excessive force (Reuters)
Iraq’s Army Admits Excessive Force on Protesters
The Iraqi army withdrew from a Baghdad neighborhood where anti-government protesters have been killed by security forces in recent days. It said that soldiers who used excessive force would be held accountable (New York Times)
Protests in Iraq Grow Deadlier
Eight more people have been killed as protests continue in Iraq. As many as one hundred civilians have been killed and over six thousand have been injured in demonstrations across the country as protesters clash with government authorities (Reuters)
Iraqi PM Pledges to Address Protestors’ Demands
Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi, in a televised address, pledged to work on providing a basic income, improving housing availability, and stepping up anticorruption measures. The speech came amid nationwide protests, with demonstrators defying a ban by gathering in Baghdad’s Tahrir Square today. Security forces fired on hundreds of protestors in Baghdad today, killing one; at least forty-three people have been killed in protests across the country this week (Associated Press)
Protests Intensify Across Iraq
At least eighteen people have been killed and hundreds more injured as Iraqi security forces used live ammunition in response to countrywide protests against corruption and joblessness. The demonstrations prompted Baghdad to impose curfews in several cities starting today (BBC)
Anti-government Protesters Killed in Iraq
At least two people were killed and around two hundred were wounded in clashes with police during protests against high unemployment and corruption. The demonstrations were the country’s largest since President Barham Salih and Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi took office almost a year ago (Al Jazeera)
Iraq, Syria Open Border Crossing
The opening marked a step toward normalization between the two countries and what Syria’s interior minister called “the result of our peoples’ victories” over the Islamic State and other terrorist groups. The Qaim border crossing had been closed since 2012 (Washington Post)
Islamic State Claims Responsibility for Bombing in Iraq
The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for a bus explosion that killed twelve people and wounded five others at a checkpoint near Karbala, Iraq—a city known for its religious significance to Shiite pilgrims. The bombing is one of the deadliest attacks on civilians since the fall of the Islamic State caliphate in 2017 (New York Times)
Stampede Kills Dozens in Iraq
At least thirty-six people died in a stampede of Shiite pilgrims during a procession in the city of Karbala to mark the Ashura religious holiday, according to Iraq’s Health Ministry (Washington Post)
Weapons Depot Attacked Near Baghdad
Blasts yesterday struck a weapons depot near the Balad Air Base that reportedly belonged to Iranian-backed Shiite militias (Al Jazeera)
Separately, the Iraqi government reportedly concluded that a drone strike caused an explosion at a government weapons depot in Baghdad earlier in August (Associated Press)
U.S. Marine Killed in Iraq
A U.S. Marine was killed in Nineveh province while advising an Iraqi Security Force mission (Reuters)
Iraq’s PMF Seeks More Time to Integrate With Security Forces
Iraq’s paramilitary Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) asked Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi for two more months to integrate with the country’s security forces. This development comes shortly before the Prime Minister’s deadline before the militias must move into barracks outside of Iraq’s cities (Wall Street Journal)
In Iraq, Polluted Water Affects 120,000
Iraq is accused of mismanaging a crisis of water shortages and pollution (Associated Press)
Around 120,000 Iraqis have been sickened by polluted water in the past year (Al Jazeera)
Separately, over one thousand former Islamic State militants have reportedly entered Iraq in the past eight months (New York Times)
In Iraq, Mortar Kills Three
Today, three mortar bombs in Iraq’s Shirqat killed three and injured four. Iraqi police reported Islamic State involvement in the attack (Reuters)
Iraq Launches New Offensive Against Islamic State
Iraq announced a new military operation along the Syrian border, where Islamic State militants are suspected to be regrouping (Associated Press)
Iraq Urges Restraint by Iran-Backed Militants
Yesterday, Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul Mahdi issued a decree ordering Iran-backed Shia militias to integrate with Iraq’s armed forces. The decree follows several attacks on bases hosting U.S. forces (Reuters)
Iraq, UN Discuss Prosecuting Islamic State Detainees
Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul Mahdi reported that he is consulting with the United Nations over whether to prosecute foreign Islamic State militants, including from Western countries, detained in Syria. Currently, Iraq’s declared policy is to prosecute only militants who fought in Iraq (Reuters)
Iraq Kills Fourteen Islamic State Militants; Bombing in Baghdad Mosque
Iraqi special forces killed fourteen Islamic State militants during a two-day operation near Kirkuk (Associated Press)
Separately, a blast at a Shi’ite mosque in Baghdad’s Baladiyat neighborhood injured seven (Reuters)