11-28-2019, 09:35 PM
*** 29-Nov-19 World View -- Spiraling bloodbath in Iraq, as anti-Iran and anti-government riots spread
This morning's key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com
****
**** Bloodbath in Nasiriyah, Iraq, as riots spread to multiple cities
****
![[Image: g191128b.jpg]](http://Media.GenerationalDynamics.com/ww2010/g191128b.jpg)
Map of Iraq showing locations of anti-government, anti-Iran protests (AFP)
Increasingly violent anti-Iran and anti-government demonstrations and
riots are spreading across numerous cities in southern Iraq. These
are generational Awakening era riots following the Iran/Iraq war of
1980-89. The riots are mostly confined to cities in southern Iraq,
which is the stronghold of the Shia Muslims, and the rioters are
themselves almost entirely Shia Muslims.
So far, there is activity by Sunni Muslims in Iraq. This is ironic,
of course, since Iraq is a Shia Muslim country being attacked by Shia
Muslim civilians in Iraq.
There was a bloodbath on Thursday, as 40 protesters were killed and
hundreds wounded in the cities of Baghdad and Nasiriyah.
The unrest in Iraq began on October 1, when thousands took to the
streets in Baghdad and southern cities. At least 350 people have been
killed by security forces, which routinely uses live ammunition,
bullets, tear gas, and stun grenades to disperse crowds.
On Wednesday evening, there was a dramatic escalation when hundreds of
anti-government protesters attacked the Iranian consulate in the holy
Shia city of Najaf, setting the building on fire, and replacing the
Iranian flag with the Iraqi flag.
This is the second time this month that an Iranian consulate was
attacked. Three weeks ago, security forces killed four demonstrators
who stormed the Iranian consulate in the city of Karbala.
One could say that Iran is getting what it deserves, since Iran has
frequently allowed attacks on foreign embassies in Tehran as an
instrument of government policy.
****
**** Protesters demand end of intervention by Iran
****
Since the riots began on October 1, demonstrators have been accusing
the government of corruption, and have been protesting Iran's massive
intervention in Iraq.
Iran's government has been demanding action from the Iraq government
to stop the attack on Iran's consulates.
There have been some efforts by Iranian officials to meet with
protesters to try to quell the demonstrations. However, this will
never go well, because the protesters are young kids who are well
aware that their grandfathers and grandmothers were attacked, raped,
tortured, and killed by Iranians during the Iran/Iraq war.
Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi criticized Iraq's
government's failure to prevent violence:
<QUOTE>"The Iraqi government is responsible to secure safety
of diplomatic missions and diplomats in Iraq... Tehran strongly
condemns the attack and demands the Iraqi government's firm
response to the aggressors."<END QUOTE>
A statement from the Iran Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) suggests
that Iran will take action of its own by using the Popular
Mobilization Forces (PMF) to control the protesters. The PMF were
formed in the past few years and were the principal paramilitary force
used to expel ISIS from northern Iraq. However, the PMF are still
around, and Iran is threatening to use them to attack the Shia
protesters in southern Iraq.
This action by the PMF would certain raise concerns that the Iran/Iraq
war was starting all over again. That can't happen because both Iran
and Iraq are in a generational Awakening era, but there could be a
brief military clash.
****
**** Protesters demand restructuring Iraq's 'confessional' government
****
As I described earlier this month, Iraq has a "confessional" form of
government. ( "3-Nov-19 World View -- Anti-Iran, anti-government protests spread across Iraq"
)
The confesssional form of government was set up in both Lebanon and
Iraq. Different governmental institutions are assigned, based on the
sectarian affiliation or confession. In Iraq, the nation's resources
and institutions are divided up among Shias, Sunnis and Kurds, to
ensure free and equal citizenship.
In terms of preventing new rounds of sectarian violence, the
confessional form of government seems to have worked. But
unfortunately it makes corruption too easy, since officials in each
"confession" have too much control over the funds, with no checks and
balances.
The young Iraqis are now calling for an end to the confessional form
of government, saying that it has permitted too much corruption. They
particularly blame Iran's influence for the greatest amount of
corruption.
Needless to say, the corrupt government officials in Iraq who have
been using control of money and institutions to keep their cronies in
power have no intention of letting this happen. But if the street
protests continue and grow, they may have no choice.
The same thing is happening in Lebanon, where there are massive street
protests, and calls for an end to its confessional form of government.
Both Iraq and Lebanon are client states of Iran, and these protests
represent serious threats to Iran's foreign policy.
Sources:
Related Articles:
KEYS: Generational Dynamics, Iraq, Iran, Iran/Iraq war,
Nasiriyah, Najaf, Baghdad, Confessional government,
Abbas Mousavi, Iran Revolutionary Guard Corps, IRGC,
Popular Mobilization Forces, PMF, Lebanon
Permanent web link to this article
Receive daily World View columns by e-mail
Contribute to Generational Dynamics via PayPal
John J. Xenakis
100 Memorial Drive Apt 8-13A
Cambridge, MA 02142
Phone: 617-864-0010
E-mail: john@GenerationalDynamics.com
Web site: http://www.GenerationalDynamics.com
Forum: http://www.gdxforum.com/forum
Subscribe to World View: http://generationaldynamics.com/subscribe
This morning's key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com
- Bloodbath in Nasiriyah, Iraq, as riots spread to multiple cities
- Protesters demand end of intervention by Iran
- Protesters demand restructuring Iraq's 'confessional' government
****
**** Bloodbath in Nasiriyah, Iraq, as riots spread to multiple cities
****
Map of Iraq showing locations of anti-government, anti-Iran protests (AFP)
Increasingly violent anti-Iran and anti-government demonstrations and
riots are spreading across numerous cities in southern Iraq. These
are generational Awakening era riots following the Iran/Iraq war of
1980-89. The riots are mostly confined to cities in southern Iraq,
which is the stronghold of the Shia Muslims, and the rioters are
themselves almost entirely Shia Muslims.
So far, there is activity by Sunni Muslims in Iraq. This is ironic,
of course, since Iraq is a Shia Muslim country being attacked by Shia
Muslim civilians in Iraq.
There was a bloodbath on Thursday, as 40 protesters were killed and
hundreds wounded in the cities of Baghdad and Nasiriyah.
The unrest in Iraq began on October 1, when thousands took to the
streets in Baghdad and southern cities. At least 350 people have been
killed by security forces, which routinely uses live ammunition,
bullets, tear gas, and stun grenades to disperse crowds.
On Wednesday evening, there was a dramatic escalation when hundreds of
anti-government protesters attacked the Iranian consulate in the holy
Shia city of Najaf, setting the building on fire, and replacing the
Iranian flag with the Iraqi flag.
This is the second time this month that an Iranian consulate was
attacked. Three weeks ago, security forces killed four demonstrators
who stormed the Iranian consulate in the city of Karbala.
One could say that Iran is getting what it deserves, since Iran has
frequently allowed attacks on foreign embassies in Tehran as an
instrument of government policy.
****
**** Protesters demand end of intervention by Iran
****
Since the riots began on October 1, demonstrators have been accusing
the government of corruption, and have been protesting Iran's massive
intervention in Iraq.
Iran's government has been demanding action from the Iraq government
to stop the attack on Iran's consulates.
There have been some efforts by Iranian officials to meet with
protesters to try to quell the demonstrations. However, this will
never go well, because the protesters are young kids who are well
aware that their grandfathers and grandmothers were attacked, raped,
tortured, and killed by Iranians during the Iran/Iraq war.
Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi criticized Iraq's
government's failure to prevent violence:
<QUOTE>"The Iraqi government is responsible to secure safety
of diplomatic missions and diplomats in Iraq... Tehran strongly
condemns the attack and demands the Iraqi government's firm
response to the aggressors."<END QUOTE>
A statement from the Iran Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) suggests
that Iran will take action of its own by using the Popular
Mobilization Forces (PMF) to control the protesters. The PMF were
formed in the past few years and were the principal paramilitary force
used to expel ISIS from northern Iraq. However, the PMF are still
around, and Iran is threatening to use them to attack the Shia
protesters in southern Iraq.
This action by the PMF would certain raise concerns that the Iran/Iraq
war was starting all over again. That can't happen because both Iran
and Iraq are in a generational Awakening era, but there could be a
brief military clash.
****
**** Protesters demand restructuring Iraq's 'confessional' government
****
As I described earlier this month, Iraq has a "confessional" form of
government. ( "3-Nov-19 World View -- Anti-Iran, anti-government protests spread across Iraq"
)
The confesssional form of government was set up in both Lebanon and
Iraq. Different governmental institutions are assigned, based on the
sectarian affiliation or confession. In Iraq, the nation's resources
and institutions are divided up among Shias, Sunnis and Kurds, to
ensure free and equal citizenship.
In terms of preventing new rounds of sectarian violence, the
confessional form of government seems to have worked. But
unfortunately it makes corruption too easy, since officials in each
"confession" have too much control over the funds, with no checks and
balances.
The young Iraqis are now calling for an end to the confessional form
of government, saying that it has permitted too much corruption. They
particularly blame Iran's influence for the greatest amount of
corruption.
Needless to say, the corrupt government officials in Iraq who have
been using control of money and institutions to keep their cronies in
power have no intention of letting this happen. But if the street
protests continue and grow, they may have no choice.
The same thing is happening in Lebanon, where there are massive street
protests, and calls for an end to its confessional form of government.
Both Iraq and Lebanon are client states of Iran, and these protests
represent serious threats to Iran's foreign policy.
Sources:
- Iraqi forces kill dozens of protesters as uprising intensifies after Iranian consulate torched (Reuters, 28-Nov-2019)
- 'Bloodbath': Dozens of protesters killed as army deploys south (Al-Jazeera, 28-Nov-2019)
- Iraqi protests: Iranian consulate torched in Najaf as death toll mounts (Middle East Eye, 28-Nov-2019)
- Iraq forms ‘crisis cells’ as Iran’s Najaf consulate burned and more than two dozen protesters killed (Washington Post, 28-Nov-2019)
- Moqtada al-Sadr / As protests rattle Iraq, influential Shiite cleric calls to overhaul political system (Washington Post, 29-Oct-2019)
- Nasiriyah / Iraqi crackdown kills 25 protesters after Iran mission torched (AFP, 28-Nov-2019)
- WATCH: Iraq death toll after Nasiriyah massacre continues to rise (Al-Araby, London, 28-Nov-2019)
- 40 Iraqi protesters slain in 24 hours as violence spirals (TRT World, Turkey, 28-Nov-2019)
- 40 Iraqi protesters slain in 24 hours as violence spirals (AP, 28-Nov-2019)
- Confessional gov / In the heart of Baghdad, a new vision for Iraq is emerging (New Statesman, London, 27-Nov-2019)
Related Articles:
- Anti-Iran, anti-government protests spread across Iraq (03-Nov-2019)
- Massive anti-government street protests paralyze Lebanon (21-Oct-2019)
- Riots in Iraq's Basra evoke fault lines of 1980s Iran-Iraq war (09-Sep-2018)
- Iraqi Sunnis are turning against al-Qaeda in Iraq (01-Apr-2007)
- Massive Beirut explosion killing Rafiq Hariri puts Lebanon into state of shock (16-Feb-2005)
KEYS: Generational Dynamics, Iraq, Iran, Iran/Iraq war,
Nasiriyah, Najaf, Baghdad, Confessional government,
Abbas Mousavi, Iran Revolutionary Guard Corps, IRGC,
Popular Mobilization Forces, PMF, Lebanon
Permanent web link to this article
Receive daily World View columns by e-mail
Contribute to Generational Dynamics via PayPal
John J. Xenakis
100 Memorial Drive Apt 8-13A
Cambridge, MA 02142
Phone: 617-864-0010
E-mail: john@GenerationalDynamics.com
Web site: http://www.GenerationalDynamics.com
Forum: http://www.gdxforum.com/forum
Subscribe to World View: http://generationaldynamics.com/subscribe
