US sanctions Iran-linked Iraqis over protest deaths
December 6, 2019
Protesters in Baghdad have been targeted by unknown assailants, leaving 15 dead. Meanwhile, the US has imposed sanctions on three Iranian-linked Iraqi militia leaders for allegedly assisting efforts to thwart the unrest.
Image: Reuters/K. al-Mousily
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More than a dozen people were killed on Friday in Baghdad's Khilani Square, where protesters had gathered for a demonstration.
Iraqi security and medical officials said unknown assailants deliberately targeted demonstrators, leaving 15 people dead and more than 60 wounded.
Armed men on pick-up trucks shot at a large building where protesters had been camped out for weeks, forcing them out.
The attack came just a day after four protesters died in Baghdad's Tahrir Square, after security forces employed rubber bullets, military-grade tear gas and live rounds, in an effort to disperse a demonstration.
Iraq's capital has been shaken by youth-dominated, leaderless, anti-government protests since early October.
Earlier on Friday, the United States imposed sanctions on three Iranian-linked Iraqi militia leaders for allegedly assisting efforts to thwart the anti-government demonstrations.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo backed the Iraqi protesters: "The Iraqi people want their country back. They are calling for genuine reform and accountability and for trustworthy leaders who will put Iraq's national interests first," he said in a statement.
The US imposed the punishment on three Iraqis — Qais al-Khazali, Laith al-Khazali and Hussein Falil Aziz al-Lami — due to links to Popular Mobilization Forces, or Hashed al-Shaabi, a Shiite militia movement close to Iran.
The three leaders have had all their assets seized by the United States and have been banned from traveling to the US.
In addition, Washington also slapped sanctions on an Iraqi politician, Khamis Farhan al-Khanjar al-Issawi, as they accused him of bribery.
More than 400 people have been killed since anti-government protests began at the beginning of October. The unrest has continued despite the resignation of Prime Minister Adel Abdel Mahdi, a close ally of Iran. Iraqi citizens are unhappy at the government's closeness to Iran, as well as corruption.
Violence erupts during protests in Iraq
Iraqis ushered in October with anti-government protests in Baghdad. The intermittent violent confrontations have so far resulted in hundreds of injuries and dozens of deaths. Unease remains in several cities.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/A. al Mohammedaw
Protests begin as civilians try to enter government property
On October 1, thousands of protesters took to the streets in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad to protest the government. Among their demands were reducing unemployment, providing better services and ending corruption. The demonstrations converged on the centrally located Tahrir Square. The protesters also tried to enter the fortified Green Zone, which houses embassies and government buildings.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/A. al Mohammedaw
Violent police crackdown
Security forces responded to the protesters attempt to enter the Green Zone by blocking roads and using tear gas, stun guns and water canons. After the demonstrators refused to leave, the forces opened fire with rubber bullets and with live fire. More than 200 were reportedly injured and one died. One other person died and dozens more were injured in related protests elsewhere in Iraq.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/K. Mohammed
Calls for restraint
The embattled Iraqi government has only been in power since October 2018. Following the protests, it increased security in Baghdad. Iraqi President Barham Saleh (pictured above in a photo from March 2019) urged "restraint and respect for the law." The UN's top official in Iraq also expressed "grave concern."
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/F. Belaid
More protests, more deaths
Protests continued despite the violence. On October 2, fresh demonstrations broke out in downtown Baghdad. Police, who were at the ready with armored vehicles and riot gear, responded with more live fire. By the end of the day, seven people were killed, bringing the total death count over the first two days of October to nine.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/H. Mizban
Protest multiply
The demonstrations and riots also spread from Baghdad to Iraq's south. In some places demonstrators set buildings on fire. Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi blamed the violence on "aggressors" and called an emergency national security meeting. While some politicians joined him in criticizing the protesters, others condemned the government's response.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/H. Mizban
More instability ahead
The government issued a curfew in Baghdad and three southern cities as standoffs continued nationwide, including at the airport outside the capital. By the end of October 3, at least 25 people had been killed. The border between Iraq and Iran was closed ahead of a religious pilgrimage to the Iraqi city of Karbala. Iran urged its citizens not to travel to Iraq; Bahrain issued a similar warning.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/H. Mizban
Anti-government blogger arrested
Come mid-October, determined protesters set fires and closed streets. Meanwhile, Shujaa al-Khafaji, an Iraqi blogger, had been detained, apparently over his coverage of the unrest. A relative of the outspoken writer, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals, said heavily armed masked gunmen snatched him from his apartment in a dawn raid.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/K. Mohammed
No end in sight as death toll rises
As the month neared its end, there was no conclusion to the angry protests. Prime Minister Adel Abdel-Mahdi promised reforms, but still civilians gathered in Baghdad's Tahrir Square waving Iraqi flags and chanting slogans demanding the resignation of the government. More deaths ensued as unrest escalated both in the capital and in the mainly Shiite-populated southern provinces.
