Editorial Note: The following news reports are summaries from original sources. They may also include corrections of Arabic names and political terminology. Comments are in parentheses. Share the link of this article with your facebook friends

 

Iraqi Protesters Insist on the Departure of the Corrupt Regime, Not Deterred by Killing 24 of them in Baghdad

December 8, 2019

Editor's Note:

Iraqis, both Sunnis and Shi'is, are fed-up with the US-installed corrupt regime, they are in full revolt against it, demanding it to be thrown out (regime change by people).

 

Iraqi protesters in Baghdad, December 8, 2019	Anti-government Iraqi woman protester, December 8, 2019

 

The following are news stories from the independent Iraqi Arabic news agency, Yaqein ( http://yaqein.net/ ):

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Iraqi protesters insist on the departure of ther regime politicians استمرار مطالب المتظاهرين: لم نخول أحدا للتحدث باسمنا 07 ديسمبر 2019 | الكاتب:يقين   مع الزخم الكبير الذي لا تزال التظاهرات العراقية تشهده بعد انقضاء شهرين على بداياتها، يجمع كثير من الناشطين والمشاركين في هذه التظاهرات على أن لا مفاوضات مع الحكومة أو البرلمان، إذ أن وقت المفاوضات قد انقضى وبات رحيل الطبقة السياسية الحالية هي عنوان المطالب الذي تنادي به ساحات الاعتصام في مختلف المحافظات العراقية. وفي الوقت الذي نفى فيه المتظاهرون نيتهم التفاوض مع الحكومة، نفوا كذلك ترشيح أي شخصية لتكون متحدثة باسم المتظاهرين بعد أن كشفت وسائل إعلام عراقية محلية عن أن المتظاهرين رشحوا شخصية معينة للقيام بهذا الدور. إصرار المتظاهرين: “الطبقة السياسية الحالية يبدو أنها لا تريد أن تستوعب حجم الرفض الشعبي لها.” لا يزال المتظاهرون العراقيون متمسكون بمطالبهم التي خرجوا من أجلها في الأول من تشرين الأول / اكتوبر الماضي والتي لا تزال مستمرة حتى اللحظة، مطالب يكاد يكون الاجماع عليها سيد الموقف في ساحات التظاهر والاعتصام. الناشط المدني وأحد المشاركين في التظاهرات “علي عبد الخالق” كشف في حديثه لوكالة “يقين” عن أن الطبقة السياسية الحالية يبدو أنها لا تريد أن تستوعب حجم الرفض الشعبي لها وأن جميع ما قدمته من تنازلات شكلية واستقالة حكومة عبد المهدي مؤخرا لم يكن من أولوياتها. https://yaqein.net/reports/230020

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The following are news stories from the independent Iraqi English news site, (https://www.thebaghdadpost.com/en):

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Protests grip Baghdad and southern Iraq despite rising toll

The Baghdad Post, December 8, 2019

Thousands of Iraqi protesters streamed into streets and public squares in the capital and restive south on Sunday, saying they were not deterred by deadly violence meant to “scare” them.

In Baghdad, crowds of anti-government demonstrators thronged Tahrir Square, the epicenter of their movement.
Late Friday, unidentified gunmen attacked a parking complex near Tahrir where demonstrators had been squatting for weeks, leaving 20 protesters and four police officers dead, medics told AFP.

Protesters feared it signaled that their movement would be derailed but by Sunday, the numbers gathered under the sun in Tahrir were staggering.
“They’re trying to scare us in whatever ways they can, but we’re staying in the streets,” said Aisha, a 23-year-old protester.

At least 452 people -- the vast majority of them protesters -- have died and 20,000 have been wounded since the rallies erupted.

In Nasiriyah, a protest hotspot where dozens were killed in a spree of violence last month, protesters regrouped in downtown along with representatives of powerful tribes.

“We will keep protesting until the regime collapses,” pledged Ali Rahim, a student.

In other southern cities, local authorities had declared Sunday -- the first day of the work week in Iraq -- a holiday for civil servants.

Road blocks and massive strikes also disrupted work in Hilla, Amara, Diwaniya, Kut and the shrine city of Najaf, AFP’s correspondents there said.
The rallies have persisted despite the resignation of premier Adel Abdel Mahdi earlier this month, with protesters demanding the complete ouster of the ruling class.

Iraq is ranked the 12th most corrupt country in the world by watchdog group Transparency International, with billions of dollars pilfered each year from the state budget of Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)'s second-largest producer.

24 people killed in attack on protesters in Baghdad Friday: medics

The Baghdad Post, December 6, 2019

The death toll of an Iraqi attack on protesters in Baghdad by unknown militias rose to 24, AFP cited medics as saying.
 
Unidentified armed men killed many people late Friday in Baghdad’s Tahrir Square in another night of blood-ridden violence over two months after anti-government demonstrations began in Iraq.
 
The incident occurred on the same day the US sanctioned three Iran-backed Iraqi militia leaders for alleged roles in the killing of protesters in various parts of Iraq. Washington has said they would be seeking further sanctions against entities involved in the deaths of demonstrators.

Appointing New Iraq’s PM Before Constitutional Deadline 'Very Difficult : MP

Iraq is faced with new challenges as it seems to be “very difficult” to appoint a new prime minister within the constitutional timeline, said a Kurdish lawmaker.

Following the resignation of Adil Abdul Mahdi from Iraq’s premiership, the country’s parliament officially appealed to the president of Iraq to submit a candidate’s profile to the legislature within 15 days.

According to MP Vian Sabri, the political skirmish in Iraq is creating obstacles for the appointment of a new PM, and that the president would likely fail to introduce a candidate within 15 days which is designated by the Constitution.

“The deadline will be extended by another 15 days if the president failed to introduce a candidate by the end of the first 15-day period,” she told The Baghdad Post.

“But, if he fails again, then Iraq will face a legal vacuum,” she added.

ISIS attack kills 5 militiamen in Kirkuk

The Baghdad Post, December 8, 2019

ISIS gunmen attacked an IMIS-affiliated unit in Kirkuk amid a general uptick in terrorist attacks in the region. In response, Prime Minister of Iraq’s caretaker government, Adil Abdul Mahdi, has ordered an anti-ISIS operation in three provinces.

The latest incident reportedly occurred Saturday morning in the Danadish area of Kirkuk’s Hawija district. ISIS militants took advantage of adverse weather conditions and attacked a unit of the 56th Brigades of the Shia-majority militias, also known as the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF).

“The attack resulted in deaths of two IMIS members, and wounded three others,” a source said.

Just a day earlier, an explosion rocked the city of Kirkuk, targeting a police car, killing at least one officer.

The province, which is part of disputed territories between the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and the Federal Government of Iraq, has witnessed a series of attacks since last week.

Multiple ISIS attacks have occurred in the northern parts of Diyala province as well, on both the KRG-controlled and Iraqi sides. The Peshmerga forces deployed reinforcements to the area to bolster defenses against further assaults.

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