The Common Ills: Iraq: Protests, persecution

Friday, June 10, 2016

Iraq: Protests, persecution

The persecution of the Sunnis continues in Iraq -- in the name of 'liberation,' you understand.

Kyle W. Orton ‏@KyleWOrton 2 hours ago

Two videos of militia abuses in #Fallujah this morning: - Shooting the bodies of children - Whipping captives who are tied up #Iraq

18 retweets2 likes
Iran Arab Spring ‏@IranArabSpring 3 hours ago

#IRAQ: INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY IGNORING ETHNIC CLEANSING IN #FALLUJAH https://iranarabspring.wordpress.com/2016/06/10/iraq-international-community-ignoring-ethnic-cleansing-in-fallujah …

12 retweets10 likes

BBC News - IS conflict: Falluja detainees 'tortured by Shia militias'

1 retweet2 likes

‏@Malcolmite

Keep in mind this is what the Iraqi Shia militias do in Iraq to Sunnis. They came to do the same in Syria 

70 retweets17 likes

‏@moonnor27

Iraqi Sunni civilians displaced from Fallujah tortured & killed by Shia Officer Fadel al-Saadi #warcriimes #IRAQ 

186 retweets39 likes

‏@IranArabSpring

#IRAQ: INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY IGNORING ETHNIC CLEANSING IN #FALLUJAH https://iranarabspring.wordpress.com/2016/06/10/iraq-international-community-ignoring-ethnic-cleansing-in-fallujah …

12 retweets10 likes

‏@Malcolmite

The sectarian Shia Hashd militia in Iraq (graphic scene blurred) is this the alternative to ISIS you want? 

32 retweets5 likes

Bombs dropped on Iraq do not address the persecution of the Sunnis.

Nothing Barack Obama has done has addressed this ongoing persecution.

At MIDDLE EAST MONITOR, Dr. Noureddine Miladi offers:

American satellite TV channels as well as human rights organizations have signposted the Iranian involvement in the invasion of Fallujah and other remaining Sunni majority places. The Al-Hashd Al-Shaabi army has been reported to be waging a war by proxy for the Iranian ‘Revolutionary’ Guard. The fact that Kassim Sulaiman, leader in the Iranian ‘Revolutionary’ Gard, is roaming free in Iraq, giving advice to the militia, while he is wanted internationally raises a lot of questions, argues the head of Al-Hayat newspaper in New York.
The recent shutting down of Al-Jazeera offices in Iraq is another attempt to silence the witness. Along with other Arab media outlets, Al-Jazeera has been accused of misinformation and fabrication of news. The same reasons ostensibly had been given by the US army in 2003 when they decided also to shut down the channel’s offices in Iraq because of its daring journalism.

History will soon unveil that the invasion of Fallujah is not merely to uproot [the Islamic State] but to strategically broaden the sectarian rule backed by Iran on all Iraqi soil. This plan is partly about silencing all forms of Sunni dissent against the sectarian government of Baghdad and partly to expand the Iranian hegemony in the region.

Meanwhile, bridges and roads to Baghdad were closed by the US-installed prime minister of Iraq Haider al-Abadi. ALSUMARIA reports Haider issued a statement early today stressing actions against political officials or public institutions will be dealt with firmly.

IRAQI SPRING MC reports the Dawa party is shooting at protesters in Dawa. The Dawa political party is the party that both the present prime minister (Haider) and the most recent one (Nouri al-Maliki) hail from. Forever thug Nouri is denouncing the Najaf protesters who have blocked off his office.

In Wasit, protesters are said to have stormed political headquarters.

The locations involved would appear to indicate that the protests -- this wave began under Shi'ite cleric and movement leader Moqtada al-Sadr -- have spread beyond Moqtada's followers.

Lastly, a thought/suggestion for THE WASHINGTON POST. Next time, have Loveday Morris and Missy Ryan write an article about this:

At the same time, only limited progress has been made in addressing the frustration that Iraqi Sunnis have with their Shiite-led government, a core reason some of them initially welcomed militants into their cities. That jeopardizes the longevity of any territorial victories U.S. trainers hope to achieve.

That would be much better than tucking the issue away in the middle of a report on the Iraqi military -- and, yes, Ned Parker and Jonathan S. Landay already covered the problems with the Iraqi military's training last week for REUTERS. No US outlet has done a serious and in depth look at the issues that brought about the rise of the Islamic State in Iraq.

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