Iranian consulate in Basra south Iraq is one fire now as thousands of protestors try storm it

[El Sidd]

Not expelling everyone outright from Jewish land and giving the Arab settlers in Gaza or West Bank a chance at their own state.IMHO they should have been deported back to Jordan or Egypt 5 decades ago and save us all from this fake drama

Holocaust was Not a Fake Drama

 

[WinterNights]

Iraqis are finally rising up! More power to you! If iran doesn’t restore the eater supply Iraq will invade iran and make a mockery of that country. Kowsars are no match against the Iraqi air force.

It's Iran, with a capital "I", be careful how you spell my country's name.
The only thing being embarrassed here is you. First of all, if Iraq tried anything like that they would be split into multiple parts by Iran. The only reasons Iraq is still a whole country is due to nations like Iran. When their soldier dropped their weapons and ran like little bi.tches from ISIS, it was Iran that came to their rescue.

A few paid protesters don't change the reality on the ground. Iran has substantial influence in Iraq, and nothing will change that.

 

[Cthulhu]

Incoming Ummah!

 

[Devil Soul]

Iraqi Protesters Torch Iranian Consulate
Baghdad’s Green Zone, Iran-backed militias were also attacked


Iraqi protesters set fire to the Iranian Consulate in Basra, Iraq on September 7, 2018. PHOTO: ESSAM AL-SUDANI/REUTERS
0 COMMENTS
By
Isabel Coles and
Ali Nabhan
Sept. 7, 2018 5:43 p.m. ET



DUBAI—Protesters set fire to the Iranian consulate in Basra on Friday in a show of anger against Tehran’s involvement in the country’s affairs, capping days of violent unrest that has raised fears of a broader conflict.

The torching of the Iranian consulate came hours after three mortar rounds were fired early Friday morning into the heavily fortified Green Zone in Baghdad where the U.S. embassy is located, landing in an empty lot and causing no damage. Hours before on Thursday night, protesters had torched the offices of most political parties in Basra, including powerful Iran-backed paramilitary groups.


Protests began last week over poor government services, but they have flared into violent rejections of the entire political class and foreign influence. The U.S. and Iran are vying for leverage as Iraqi politicians reconvene parliament and attempt to form a new government following May elections.

An Iraqi man stands in the damaged Basra's government complex in the aftermath of a violent protest against the government. PHOTO: HAIDAR MOHAMMED ALI/AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE/GETTY IMAGES
At least nine people have been killed in protests this month, the Iraqi Human Rights commission said Friday. Amnesty International blamed unnamed security forces for the deaths, saying they had opened fire on protesters, who in turn have hurled rocks and, in some cases, gasoline bombs.

Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said Friday the protesters’ deaths were under investigation. He rejected the use of force against protesters in principle.

Iraqi political analyst Basim al-Awadi said the escalating series of events pose a challenge to Iraqi sovereignty.

“Targeting the Iranian consulate today might be understood as a response to last night’s attack on the International Zone, and this really sends risky messages for the situation in Iraq,” he said.

Iran has played a prominent role in Iraqi politics since the U.S. invaded 15 years ago and toppled dictator Saddam Hussein. It expanded its military presence in Iraq during the war against Islamic State and converted those gains into more political influence in an election in May where its allies won the second-highest number of seats.

The U.S. doesn’t want to see Iran’s closest allies in Iraq dictate the formation of government especially as it seeks to isolate Tehran. American officials have pushed Sunni and Kurdish parties to join a coalition of which Mr. Abadi is part.

On Friday evening, hundreds of protesters marched toward the Iranian consulate chanting “Iran out out! Basra remains free,” according to videos circulated online. One clip showed a protester taking down the Iranian flag flying over the consulate and raising Iraq’s in its place. In another, protesters stomped on an Iranian flag and set fire to it. The footage couldn’t be independently verified.

Protesters burn a representation of an Iranian flag after setting fire to the Iranian consulate building in Basra. PHOTO:NABIL AL-JURANI/ASSOCIATED PRESS
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi cast blame on the Iraqi government, which he said knew beforehand of the dangers. “Unfortunately, the news is true: A violent assault and setting fire to the consulate has caused major financial damage,” he told state television.

The semiofficial Tasnim News Agency quoted Mr. Ghasemi as saying the Foreign Ministry had summoned the Iraqi ambassador to convey Iran’s strong objection to the way Iraq handled the situation. He said Iraq failed to act despite indications in recent days that an attack against the consulate was imminent.

Iraq’s foreign ministry expressed sympathy with protesters’ demands but condemned the burning of the consulate and said it harmed national interests.

The Hashd Shaabi, or Popular Mobilization Force paramilitary groups, said its main office in Basra had been ransacked and set ablaze by “unknown masked assailants.” The Fateh alliance—a political front for those militias—said “misguided collaborators” were trying to turn the militias and protesters against each other

The mortars fired on the Green Zone were the first since 2017. Interior Ministry spokesman Saad Maan said they had been launched from southern Baghdad, though it wasn’t clear by whom.

The U.S. embassy in Baghdad said it had “entered into Duck and Cover status” due to indirect fire impacts on the Green Zone, but had no further comment.

“It’s as though someone who is against Hashd Shaabi and Iran is trying to mess with them in Basra, and someone opposed to the U.S. is messing with its embassy in Baghdad,” said activist Azhar al-Rubaye.

Iraq already faces a daunting list of challenges after three years of war against Islamic State. The country must rebuild devastated areas and prevent defeated militants from regaining traction.

Populist cleric Moqtada al-Sadr won the most votes in the May 12 election but his relatively slim margin means he must build a coalition with other groups if he is to gain enough seats to form a government. His alliance with Mr. Abadi is squaring off with a coalition led by his predecessor Nouri al-Maliki and Iran-backed paramilitary commander Hadi al-Ameri.

—Ghassan Adnan in Baghdad and Asa Fitch in Dubai contributed to this article.

Write to Isabel Coles at isabel.coles@wsj.com and Ali Nabhan at ali.nabhan@wsj.com

https://www.wsj.com/articles/iraqi-protesters-torch-iranian-consulate-1536356602?mod=e2tw

 

[HAIDER]

Iraqi in US say , too much corruption in Iraqi govt, beyond control .

 

[Aramagedon]

Fvck US and Suadi regime.

 

[925boy]

Iraqis are finally rising up! More power to you! If iran doesn’t restore the eater supply Iraq will invade iran and make a mockery of that country. Kowsars are no match against the Iraqi air force.

You are allowed to dream, but you're also out of touch with Iraq- Iran dynamics realities.

 

[Saddam Hussein]

Lol at this threads comments

 

[SALMAN F]

It’s not of your Zionist business what Iraqis do

 

[Crystal-Clear]

Iraq says it will support American sanctions against Iran. What about this??

thts another thing (diplomatic) but stoping wateris a serious step .

 

[SubWater]

Last months we face many fake news in Media to agitate Iranian and Iraqis against each other??
Just follow news for past months, They said in news :
to Iranian:
Your water and electricity go to Iraq for that you don't have them/ Iraqis rape Iranian girls
and to Iraqis:
Iranians cut your water and electricity/ Iranian are raping your girls

and more bla bla

actually, Americans and Saudis are doing any thing they have to create war and anger b/w Iranians and Iraqis and inside Shi'a community

But they will fail again very soon current crisis in Iraq is so similar with Jan unrest in Iran. I am sure same persons are behind them. They lied to people and brought them to street to destroy public and gov buildings and cars ..... .

Just watch below videos and see how Iraqis are free inside Iran:

 

[GiannKall]

It's deeper than that, the protests are really serious and picking up momentum. The people are frustrated with all parties and religious clergy of Iraq apparently. So no doubt they're tired of corruption, but also parties/organizations monopoly on resources/wealth in Iraq. And other factors contributing to mismanagement. There should be a separate thread for these demonstrations in Iraq.

Well this happens under colonialism. Foreigners and a minority inside the country control the wealth of Iraq. The majority continue living under bad conditions even in areas untouched by war. This will continue happen because the priority is oil floating outside of Iraq

 

[Hack-Hook]

Cutting of water flow to Iraq shows that Iran is not a friend.Iraqis must hunt down and eliminate the mullah goats.Khamenei is a devil worshipper.

I wonder how many times I must say . there is a 5-6 year draught and all those rivers that went toward Iraq are dried n its not like Iran have closed any of them . on other hand Iraq must look at Euphrates and digress and why they have less water each year.

Soo they will say iaraelian spies cut the water supply from iran

you should not cut the water supply of peoples.

thts another thing (diplomatic) but stoping wateris a serious step .

 

[Oldman1]

It's deeper than that, the protests are really serious and picking up momentum. The people are frustrated with all parties and religious clergy of Iraq apparently. So no doubt they're tired of corruption, but also parties/organizations monopoly on resources/wealth in Iraq. And other factors contributing to mismanagement. There should be a separate thread for these demonstrations in Iraq.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/worl...ory.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.e3cda1440ebb

BASRA, Iraq — Protesters in this port city stormed the Iranian Consulate late Friday, setting it on fire and sharply escalating violent demonstrations that began over miserable living conditions but have grown into an indictment of Iraq’s stagnant politics.

The consulate was the latest symbol of entrenched power to be torched by protesters in Basra during a week of demonstrations, raising concerns that the unrest would draw a firm response from Iran, which controls several powerful militias in the oil-export city.

The attack on the consulate also upended notions of solidarity between Iraq’s Shiite heartland and Iran, the preeminent Shiite power in the region. The assault contributed to a growing sense that Iraq is slipping into a period of dangerous instability as powerful political parties remain locked in a struggle over the composition of the country’s next government.

Protesters said they targeted the consulate to vent their frustrations over abuses by Iran-backed militias in Basra, as well what they see as Tehran’s outsize influence over their city and over Iraq’s fractured politics.

The demonstrators complained that the militias run rampant in Basra, kidnapping and extorting money from their opponents and creating an atmosphere of fear. They said Iran has empowered the militias to enrich themselves at the expense of the city’s residents.

“Iran has destabilized Basra with their armed gangs,” said Sattar Hamdi, 50, a day laborer. “They have the upper hand here and with the politicians in Baghdad. I’m appealing to any foreign country, even Israel, for help because we’ve already lost Iraq to Iran.”

 

[ranawat]

What does Israel represent? Let me guess: evil, murder , genocide, child murdering, depopulation, torture?

Israel is just defending it's boundaries.