Comment BAGHDAD — Moqtada al-Sadr, a populist Shiite cleric, called on his supporters on Tuesday to withdraw immediately from a government district in Baghdad after a day of heavy fighting there that killed dozens of people, deepening the country’s political crisis. The bloodshed erupted on Monday after Sadr announced his retirement from politics in a message posted on Twitter. His supporters responded by storming the presidential palace in the area known as the Green Belt, which houses government ministries as well as foreign missions, including the US Embassy. In the hours that followed, Iraq’s political divide deepened with a barrage of rocket and munitions attacks on the once-closed Green Zone and other cities across the country. Health officials said at least 34 people were killed. “I apologize to the Iraqi people,” Sadr said in a televised address early Tuesday afternoon. “I was hoping for a peaceful demonstration, not with mortars and guns. I don’t want such a revolution.” Iraq protests turn deadly after prominent cleric quits politics Minutes after his speech ended, his supporters, some carrying rocket-propelled grenades or other weapons, began to leave the Green Belt. Iraqi authorities announced the lifting of a city curfew imposed on Monday, and the caretaker prime minister thanked Sadr for his “patriotism” by calling his followers. The violence, the deadliest in Iraq in years, has done little to resolve a political standoff that has left the country without a government since last year and its citizens without essential services and locked in infighting between Sadr’s followers and Shiite rivals. groups sponsored by Iran. In the grand scheme of things, the violence amounted to a “fight” between powerful Shiite militias jockeying for position, said Sajad Jiyad, a fellow at the Century Foundation in New York who is currently in Baghdad. But “for the average Iraqi, it shows you how far these groups are willing to go. They are willing to fight each other for power and status. “This is a dangerous game,” he said. “This could get out of hand.” Fierce clashes erupted in Baghdad on August 29 after Shia cleric Moqtada al-Sadr said he would resign from politics, sparking violence from his followers. (Video: Reuters) The political standoff began in October, when Sadr’s bloc won the largest number of seats in parliament but was unable to form a government after trying to oust its Shiite rivals. After months of political paralysis, Sadr announced that his parliamentary candidates would resign from the legislature and then sent his followers to take over parliament. A rival Shiite political group, dominated by former prime minister Nouri al-Maliki, has accused Sadr of trying to stage a “coup” and has staged its own protests during a summer of unrest. Sadr, a populist with hundreds of thousands of followers who has opposed both the US and Iran’s influence in Iraq, has called for early elections, as well as the removal from government of politicians who served after the 2003 US invasion. “There is a power struggle at the heart of this,” Jiyad said. Sadr “believes his own [bloc] he is the sole legitimate representative of the Shiites of Iraq, that he should call the shots, that he should not share power with anyone else, at least from the Shiite community.” On the other side is a powerful Shiite bloc, called the Coordination Framework, which believes that “Sadr is very problematic and is not representative of Iraqi Shiites and should not be calling the shots.” Sadr’s resignation announcement – one of at least a half-dozen similar announcements he has made over the years – came after he was “backed into a corner”, Jiyad said, by the political impasse but also by a critical statement released on Monday by a cleric considered a supporter of Sadr’s family. Sadr’s announcement amounted to a green light for his supporters, as well as a message to Iraq’s other political factions, Jiyad said: “This is the level of violence it is trying to prevent, and this is how powerful the group is of. That it keeps a lid on some of that anger.” He noted that Sadr waited a full day before calling on his followers to retreat. As his supporters left the Green Belt on Tuesday, with a vast array of weapons, they left behind damaged walls and a sea of spent shells, which the children immediately collected to sell for scrap. “Personally, I didn’t want to retreat,” said Mouamle Hassan, 21, who fled the area carrying a rifle. “We have lost martyrs, but we will always obey Sadr.” The cleric’s demands — for the dissolution of parliament and early elections — now carry more weight, he reckoned. “Now these corrupt militias have seen what we can do,” he said, referring to Sadr’s opponents. Fahim reported from Istanbul.
title: “Moqtada Al Sadr Calls On Forces To Leave Baghdad S Green Zone Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-03” author: “Ella Bennet”
Comment BAGHDAD — Moqtada al-Sadr, a populist Shiite cleric, called on his supporters on Tuesday to withdraw immediately from a government district in Baghdad after a day of heavy fighting there that killed dozens of people, deepening the country’s political crisis. The bloodshed erupted on Monday after Sadr announced his retirement from politics in a message posted on Twitter. His supporters responded by storming the presidential palace in the area known as the Green Belt, which houses government ministries as well as foreign missions, including the US Embassy. In the hours that followed, Iraq’s political divide deepened with a barrage of rocket and munitions attacks on the once-closed Green Zone and other cities across the country. Health officials said at least 34 people were killed. “I apologize to the Iraqi people,” Sadr said in a televised address early Tuesday afternoon. “I was hoping for a peaceful demonstration, not with mortars and guns. I don’t want such a revolution.” Iraq protests turn deadly after prominent cleric quits politics Minutes after his speech ended, his supporters, some carrying rocket-propelled grenades or other weapons, began to leave the Green Belt. Iraqi authorities announced the lifting of a city curfew imposed on Monday, and the caretaker prime minister thanked Sadr for his “patriotism” by calling his followers. The violence, the deadliest in Iraq in years, has done little to resolve a political standoff that has left the country without a government since last year and its citizens without essential services and locked in infighting between Sadr’s followers and Shiite rivals. groups sponsored by Iran. In the grand scheme of things, the violence amounted to a “fight” between powerful Shiite militias jockeying for position, said Sajad Jiyad, a fellow at the Century Foundation in New York who is currently in Baghdad. But “for the average Iraqi, it shows you how far these groups are willing to go. They are willing to fight each other for power and status. “This is a dangerous game,” he said. “This could get out of hand.” Fierce clashes erupted in Baghdad on August 29 after Shia cleric Moqtada al-Sadr said he would resign from politics, sparking violence from his followers. (Video: Reuters) The political standoff began in October, when Sadr’s bloc won the largest number of seats in parliament but was unable to form a government after trying to oust its Shiite rivals. After months of political paralysis, Sadr announced that his parliamentary candidates would resign from the legislature and then sent his followers to take over parliament. A rival Shiite political group, dominated by former prime minister Nouri al-Maliki, has accused Sadr of trying to stage a “coup” and has staged its own protests during a summer of unrest. Sadr, a populist with hundreds of thousands of followers who has opposed both the US and Iran’s influence in Iraq, has called for early elections, as well as the removal from government of politicians who served after the 2003 US invasion. “There is a power struggle at the heart of this,” Jiyad said. Sadr “believes his own [bloc] he is the sole legitimate representative of the Shiites of Iraq, that he should call the shots, that he should not share power with anyone else, at least from the Shiite community.” On the other side is a powerful Shiite bloc, called the Coordination Framework, which believes that “Sadr is very problematic and is not representative of Iraqi Shiites and should not be calling the shots.” Sadr’s resignation announcement – one of at least a half-dozen similar announcements he has made over the years – came after he was “backed into a corner”, Jiyad said, by the political impasse but also by a critical statement released on Monday by a cleric considered a supporter of Sadr’s family. Sadr’s announcement amounted to a green light for his supporters, as well as a message to Iraq’s other political factions, Jiyad said: “This is the level of violence it is trying to prevent, and this is how powerful the group is of. That it keeps a lid on some of that anger.” He noted that Sadr waited a full day before calling on his followers to retreat. As his supporters left the Green Belt on Tuesday, with a vast array of weapons, they left behind damaged walls and a sea of spent shells, which the children immediately collected to sell for scrap. “Personally, I didn’t want to retreat,” said Mouamle Hassan, 21, who fled the area carrying a rifle. “We have lost martyrs, but we will always obey Sadr.” The cleric’s demands — for the dissolution of parliament and early elections — now carry more weight, he reckoned. “Now these corrupt militias have seen what we can do,” he said, referring to Sadr’s opponents. Fahim reported from Istanbul.
title: “Moqtada Al Sadr Calls On Forces To Leave Baghdad S Green Zone Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-10-29” author: “Chad Parish”
Comment BAGHDAD — Moqtada al-Sadr, a populist Shiite cleric, called on his supporters on Tuesday to withdraw immediately from a government district in Baghdad after a day of heavy fighting there that killed dozens of people, deepening the country’s political crisis. The bloodshed erupted on Monday after Sadr announced his retirement from politics in a message posted on Twitter. His supporters responded by storming the presidential palace in the area known as the Green Belt, which houses government ministries as well as foreign missions, including the US Embassy. In the hours that followed, Iraq’s political divide deepened with a barrage of rocket and munitions attacks on the once-closed Green Zone and other cities across the country. Health officials said at least 34 people were killed. “I apologize to the Iraqi people,” Sadr said in a televised address early Tuesday afternoon. “I was hoping for a peaceful demonstration, not with mortars and guns. I don’t want such a revolution.” Iraq protests turn deadly after prominent cleric quits politics Minutes after his speech ended, his supporters, some carrying rocket-propelled grenades or other weapons, began to leave the Green Belt. Iraqi authorities announced the lifting of a city curfew imposed on Monday, and the caretaker prime minister thanked Sadr for his “patriotism” by calling his followers. The violence, the deadliest in Iraq in years, has done little to resolve a political standoff that has left the country without a government since last year and its citizens without essential services and locked in infighting between Sadr’s followers and Shiite rivals. groups sponsored by Iran. In the grand scheme of things, the violence amounted to a “fight” between powerful Shiite militias jockeying for position, said Sajad Jiyad, a fellow at the Century Foundation in New York who is currently in Baghdad. But “for the average Iraqi, it shows you how far these groups are willing to go. They are willing to fight each other for power and status. “This is a dangerous game,” he said. “This could get out of hand.” Fierce clashes erupted in Baghdad on August 29 after Shia cleric Moqtada al-Sadr said he would resign from politics, sparking violence from his followers. (Video: Reuters) The political standoff began in October, when Sadr’s bloc won the largest number of seats in parliament but was unable to form a government after trying to oust its Shiite rivals. After months of political paralysis, Sadr announced that his parliamentary candidates would resign from the legislature and then sent his followers to take over parliament. A rival Shiite political group, dominated by former prime minister Nouri al-Maliki, has accused Sadr of trying to stage a “coup” and has staged its own protests during a summer of unrest. Sadr, a populist with hundreds of thousands of followers who has opposed both the US and Iran’s influence in Iraq, has called for early elections, as well as the removal from government of politicians who served after the 2003 US invasion. “There is a power struggle at the heart of this,” Jiyad said. Sadr “believes his own [bloc] he is the sole legitimate representative of the Shiites of Iraq, that he should call the shots, that he should not share power with anyone else, at least from the Shiite community.” On the other side is a powerful Shiite bloc, called the Coordination Framework, which believes that “Sadr is very problematic and is not representative of Iraqi Shiites and should not be calling the shots.” Sadr’s resignation announcement – one of at least a half-dozen similar announcements he has made over the years – came after he was “backed into a corner”, Jiyad said, by the political impasse but also by a critical statement released on Monday by a cleric considered a supporter of Sadr’s family. Sadr’s announcement amounted to a green light for his supporters, as well as a message to Iraq’s other political factions, Jiyad said: “This is the level of violence it is trying to prevent, and this is how powerful the group is of. That it keeps a lid on some of that anger.” He noted that Sadr waited a full day before calling on his followers to retreat. As his supporters left the Green Belt on Tuesday, with a vast array of weapons, they left behind damaged walls and a sea of spent shells, which the children immediately collected to sell for scrap. “Personally, I didn’t want to retreat,” said Mouamle Hassan, 21, who fled the area carrying a rifle. “We have lost martyrs, but we will always obey Sadr.” The cleric’s demands — for the dissolution of parliament and early elections — now carry more weight, he reckoned. “Now these corrupt militias have seen what we can do,” he said, referring to Sadr’s opponents. Fahim reported from Istanbul.
title: “Moqtada Al Sadr Calls On Forces To Leave Baghdad S Green Zone Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-11-01” author: “Andrew Wise”
Comment BAGHDAD — Moqtada al-Sadr, a populist Shiite cleric, called on his supporters on Tuesday to withdraw immediately from a government district in Baghdad after a day of heavy fighting there that killed dozens of people, deepening the country’s political crisis. The bloodshed erupted on Monday after Sadr announced his retirement from politics in a message posted on Twitter. His supporters responded by storming the presidential palace in the area known as the Green Belt, which houses government ministries as well as foreign missions, including the US Embassy. In the hours that followed, Iraq’s political divide deepened with a barrage of rocket and munitions attacks on the once-closed Green Zone and other cities across the country. Health officials said at least 34 people were killed. “I apologize to the Iraqi people,” Sadr said in a televised address early Tuesday afternoon. “I was hoping for a peaceful demonstration, not with mortars and guns. I don’t want such a revolution.” Iraq protests turn deadly after prominent cleric quits politics Minutes after his speech ended, his supporters, some carrying rocket-propelled grenades or other weapons, began to leave the Green Belt. Iraqi authorities announced the lifting of a city curfew imposed on Monday, and the caretaker prime minister thanked Sadr for his “patriotism” by calling his followers. The violence, the deadliest in Iraq in years, has done little to resolve a political standoff that has left the country without a government since last year and its citizens without essential services and locked in infighting between Sadr’s followers and Shiite rivals. groups sponsored by Iran. In the grand scheme of things, the violence amounted to a “fight” between powerful Shiite militias jockeying for position, said Sajad Jiyad, a fellow at the Century Foundation in New York who is currently in Baghdad. But “for the average Iraqi, it shows you how far these groups are willing to go. They are willing to fight each other for power and status. “This is a dangerous game,” he said. “This could get out of hand.” Fierce clashes erupted in Baghdad on August 29 after Shia cleric Moqtada al-Sadr said he would resign from politics, sparking violence from his followers. (Video: Reuters) The political standoff began in October, when Sadr’s bloc won the largest number of seats in parliament but was unable to form a government after trying to oust its Shiite rivals. After months of political paralysis, Sadr announced that his parliamentary candidates would resign from the legislature and then sent his followers to take over parliament. A rival Shiite political group, dominated by former prime minister Nouri al-Maliki, has accused Sadr of trying to stage a “coup” and has staged its own protests during a summer of unrest. Sadr, a populist with hundreds of thousands of followers who has opposed both the US and Iran’s influence in Iraq, has called for early elections, as well as the removal from government of politicians who served after the 2003 US invasion. “There is a power struggle at the heart of this,” Jiyad said. Sadr “believes his own [bloc] he is the sole legitimate representative of the Shiites of Iraq, that he should call the shots, that he should not share power with anyone else, at least from the Shiite community.” On the other side is a powerful Shiite bloc, called the Coordination Framework, which believes that “Sadr is very problematic and is not representative of Iraqi Shiites and should not be calling the shots.” Sadr’s resignation announcement – one of at least a half-dozen similar announcements he has made over the years – came after he was “backed into a corner”, Jiyad said, by the political impasse but also by a critical statement released on Monday by a cleric considered a supporter of Sadr’s family. Sadr’s announcement amounted to a green light for his supporters, as well as a message to Iraq’s other political factions, Jiyad said: “This is the level of violence it is trying to prevent, and this is how powerful the group is of. That it keeps a lid on some of that anger.” He noted that Sadr waited a full day before calling on his followers to retreat. As his supporters left the Green Belt on Tuesday, with a vast array of weapons, they left behind damaged walls and a sea of spent shells, which the children immediately collected to sell for scrap. “Personally, I didn’t want to retreat,” said Mouamle Hassan, 21, who fled the area carrying a rifle. “We have lost martyrs, but we will always obey Sadr.” The cleric’s demands — for the dissolution of parliament and early elections — now carry more weight, he reckoned. “Now these corrupt militias have seen what we can do,” he said, referring to Sadr’s opponents. Fahim reported from Istanbul.
