DIWANIYAH: Iraq’s parliament has approved a resolution to oblige the government to end the presence of foreign troops linked to a United States-led alliance fighting IS. Iraqi protesters also flooded the streets on Sunday to denounce the US as “occupiers”, angry that fears of war was derailing their anti-government movement. For three months, youth-dominated rallies in the capital and south have condemned Iraq’s ruling class as corrupt, inept and beholden to Iran. Following a US strike on Baghdad on Friday that killed top Iranian and Iraqi commanders, Iraqi lawmakers urged the government on Sunday to oust thousands of US troops deployed across the country.
“No to America!” chanted hundreds of young Iraqis as they marched through the southern protest hotspot of Diwaniyah.
Young children present carried posters in the shape of Iraq and waved their country’s tri-colour.
“We’re taking a stance against the two occupiers: and the US,” one demonstrator said.
Nearby, a teenage girl held a handwritten signing reading: “Peace be on the land created to live in peace, but which has yet to see a single peaceful day.”
Iraqi helicopters circled above, surveying the scene. Relations between Tehran and Washington have been deteriorating since the US abandoned a landmark nuclear deal with Iran in 2018 and reimposed crippling economic sanctions.
But tensions boiled over during the last week, culminating in a US drone strike outside Baghdad Airport that killed Iranian general Qasem Soleimani and several Iraqi paramilitary leaders.
Some protesters initially rejoiced, having blamed Soleimani for propping up the government they have been trying to bring down since early October.
But joy swifty turned to worry, as protesters realised pounding war drums would drown out their calls for peaceful reform of Iraq’s government.
In a bold move, young protesters in the southern city of Nasiriyah blocked a mourning procession for Soleimani and top Iraqi paramilitary chief Abu Mahdi al Muhandis from reaching their protest camp.
Outraged mourners fired on the protesters, wounding three, medical sources said.
“We refuse a proxy war on Iraqi territory and the creation of crisis after crisis,” said student Raad Ismail.
“We’re warning them: don’t ignore our demands, whatever the excuse,” he said.
The demonstrators are calling for early parliamentary voting based on a new electoral law. They hope this would bring transparent and independent lawmakers to parliament.
They have also demanded Iran — their large eastern neighbour which holds sway among Iraqi politicians and military figures — reduce its interventions in Iraq.
Tehran has especially strong ties to the Hashed al Shaabi, a military network of factions which has been incorporated into the state.
The US has accused one vehemently anti-American Hashed faction, Kataeb Hizbullah, of attacking US diplomats and troops in Iraq.
On Saturday, Kataeb Hizbullah told Iraqi security forces to “get away” from US troops, sparking fears they would fire rockets at bases shared by soldiers from both countries.
— AFP
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