I'm not in the mood for nonsense tonight. You didn't have a 'protest' in Baghdad. A protest is something against the government. And when we've seen real protests in Baghdad, we've seen real violence. This was a rally to support militias and to support the government of Iran. That's why they weren't attacked by government forces, that's why two Members of Parliament took place. This was not a protest.
And:
I'm sorry, where is the coverage in western media of that? Or of the murder of Safaa al-Sarai? Never. Can't be bothered.
But they can call Sunday's rally in Baghdad a protest.
From the slums of Sadr City they pilled into downtown Baghdad and ALJAZEERA proclaimed them "mourners."
NBC NEWS states "thousands of Iraqis gathered in Baghdad's central square on Sunday to mark the anniversary of the U.S. killing of a top Iranian general." Really? Because the UK-based REUTERS gets it right: "Tens of thousands of supporters of Iranian-backed Iraqi paramilitary groups" -- yep, that's what they were. Germany's DEUTSCHE WELLE gets it right too: "Thousands of Iraqi followers of Iran-backed paramilitary groups"
This wasn't a protest. If you've forgotten, the same square, weeks ago, was torched and actual protesters attacked -- torched by and attacked by government forces. So don't pretend that thug Muqtada and his slum dwellers are representative of Iraq. They're not even representative of the Shia in Iraq.
An uninformed person (I guess he follows US media0 e-mailed to inform me that I only support the protesters because they are Sunni.
No. They're not.
The Sunnis have been burned. They did not take part in the protests that have lasted over a year now. Those were young Shi'ites. You don't know what you're talking about and I'll be kind pin that on the American media.
You're glorifying a radical, conservative element in Iraq. It's not the predominate position in Iraq. But it is the one that the US government chose to reinforce over and over and that's why Iraqi women lost so many rights, it's why there are waves of terror aimed at Iraq's LGBTQ community, it's why those seen as 'modern' are targeted (like doctors and scientists) -- that's why you had the original "brain drain" and several more that followed.
I've said what I've said above and it's in keeping with everything I've said all along. Still I'm sure someone will insists my feelings are 'hurt' by anti-American slogans.
Not at all. Iraqis have every reason to want US troops -- all foreign troops, in fact -- out of their country. And those of us who've paid attention all along, are damn well aware that this is not a new position. It's why the US did a SOFA in 2008 and it's why they did it for 3 years. The UN mandate that okayed foreign forces on Iraqi soil was a one-year mandate that had to be renewed each year. In the fall of 2006, when Nouri al-Maliki renewed it, there was huge outrage. That happened in 2007 as well. You may remember (or maybe you don't, maybe you never really cared about the Iraqi people) that Nouri had promised -- after the first round of outrage -- that he'd get approval from Parliament before extending the mandate again. That's what he said . . . in 2006. And then he didn't do it in 2007. In 2008, facing a mutiny, he did go to the Parliament (with the SOFA). And that's why it was a 3-year-mandate. Nouri needed some space to run for re-election and couldn't be renewing this every year.
The Iraqi people have long wanted the US forces out of their country. It's not a new position.
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