This article recounts the growing tolls of violent protests
in Iraq over the past week. Over 50 protestors were killed by security forces
in a single instance at a rally that was intended to be a peaceful sit-in. The
army claimed that the protestors had fired first, and that they merely
responded appropriately. It hardly matters who fired first of course, as these
are escalations of previous conflicts. The week before, dozens of Shia Muslims
were killed in bombings. More undoubtedly died in the weeks before.
The conflicts are the result of Prime Minister Nuri
al-Maliki’s apparent oppression of Sunni populations in Kirkuk. Leading up to
provincial polls in the area, over a dozen political candidates have been
murdered, and the actual vote has been put on hold in a number of areas. While political
killings are not unexpected when dealing with corruption, it is unfortunate
that, more often than not, it is the innocent citizens who must suffer the most
just to see these proceedings to their conclusion. And even then, it is
unlikely that anything will change, considering that the political power in the
region comes directly from Baghdad.
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