The Common Ills: F16s arrive as protests return to Iraq

Iraq has received the first of the F16s.

U.S. Embassy Baghdad ‏@USEmbBaghdad 21 hours ago

"These #F16s demonstrates our enduring relationship under the U.S.-#Iraq Strategic Framework Agreement." #AMBStuJones

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Which, of course, means Iran now has access to the technology.

Meanwhile, what's going on in Basra?

You won't read it in the western press but there are demonstrations.

اعلام الربيع العراقي ‏@IraqiSpringMC 23 hours ago

استمرار التظاهرات في البصرة، والمتظاهرون بگرمة علي في المحافظة يقطعون الطرق احتجاجا على تردي الخدمات وانقطاع الكهرباء

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اعلام الربيع العراقي ‏@IraqiSpringMC 23 hours ago

البصرة: استمرار التظاهرات في البصرة، والمتظاهرون بگرمة علي في المحافظة يقطعون الطرق احتجاجا على تردي الخدمات مطالبين بمحاسبة الفاسدين.

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The Shi'ite majority province (over 90% identify as Shi'ite) is in revolt over the decline and lack of services -- including electricity.

Last week saw Baghdad declare two public holidays due to the heat.

Basra is always significantly warmer than Baghdad.

And the people there are tired of the corruption and other issues that prevent reliable public services.

They're also tired of Nouri's State of Law (which Haider al-Abadi is a part of) and the 2008 assault only hardened that opposition.

Electricity is a concern across Iraq. Nasiriyah reports that Dhi Qar is exploring their electrical crisis in a series of meetings presided over by the Deputy Governor Mohammed Alsoala.

Oil rich Iraq can't -- won't -- provide its citizens with the needed public services.

Instead, government officials have siphoned off the billions into their own pockets.

Where graft is king, the citizens continue to suffer.

Alsumaria offers video of a Baghdad protest that took place on Monday as people gathered to demand the release of artist Namir Abdel Hussein who was arrested in a sweep that included the security forces arresting over 700 hotel workers when the hotels were stormed.

Why were they stormed?

The Shi'ite militias are again in charge, that's why.

And they don't like a Baghdad night life.

This happened repeatedly under Nouri -- and it was illegal then.

Now it's happening under Haider al-Abadi.

But let's keep pretending he's representing some form of change and a new direction for Iraq.

The Ministry of the Interior, Monday night, announced that they had released the artist as well as the hotel workers.

The following community sites -- plus Jody Watley -- updated: