Since the days of the people in the South of Iraq to protest for an improvement in their living circumstances. The demonstrations have a political Background. The points far beyond the country’s borders.
It is hot in the South of Iraq. Stabbing the sun at over 50 degrees Celsius, currently only the shadow protects. On your air conditioners and fans, the residents in and around Basra are not able to hope for your operation of the electricity, since the electricity stations in the Region fail again and again.
The heat, the lack of clean water. The river Shatt al-Arab from the dries for many years. As the Euphrates and Tigris, from which it is fed, its water masses, due to the ongoing drought. The image of the Wasteland is reminiscent of the times of a politically motivated disaster: in revenge for the uprising of the Shiites in 1991, Saddam Hussein had large parts of the river-fed unique landscape of swamps, a dry place. After his overthrow, whose inhabitants turned again in flowering landscapes – a further decline of experience.
In the South of the town, the people suffer in addition, the high salt content of the water you use – in theory – also for Drinking. From the South, namely, the salt of the Persian Gulf, penetrates in the flow of arms – with the result that the water is unfit for people, livestock and plants alike. The garbage disposal is, life is completely unbearable.
For several days the people of the Region for better living conditions on the road. They call for a fundamental improvement of the infrastructure, and also that their tax money will be used to your Benefit. Also ask yourself, where is actually the income from the sale of oil. The Region of Basra is the centre of the Iraqi Petro-economy, there are the largest Oil reserves in the country store. In desperation, the protesters stormed the building of the state “South Oil Company”. It took specially from Baghdad sent security forces to the occupation to resolve. The protests were only to Share peacefully: Local according to media reports, were killed in different cities more people, as it came to clashes between protesters and Iraqi security forces.
Wasteland: the border area between Iraq and Iran
“People want a perspective”
How explosive the situation is, suggests of the fact that in many Parts of the country access to the Internet and the social networks is blocked. After citizens protested in other regions, too, fear the authorities, apparently, another Skip of the protests to other parts of the country.
Cause for concern: unemployment was in the year 2017, at just under 15, the youth unemployment even at around 33 percent. For years, the Iraqis of a better life dream. In particular, the young people wanted to leave the current state behind, says Nils Wörmer, head of the Iraq and Syria competent and Beirut-based office of the Konrad-Adenauer-Foundation, in an interview with DW: “It comes to jobs and prospects in Iraq, to be able to have a family and to provide them with an income. After the war of the last few years, this is the point, for the young Iraqis are the most interesting.”
The situation is particularly tense because the economic hopes in spite of progressive political liberalisation have not been met. As the Iraqis chose over four years ago the Shiite politician Haidar al-Abadi to the Prime Minister, they associated the hope that he would also improve their personal life circumstances. “Abadi took office, especially as a Reformer who can put in the area of administration and perhaps also the economic impetus for reform,” says Nils Wörmer. “But these expectations have not been fulfilled.”
Demonstration for the future: protests in Iraq
A breakthrough should bring the Parliament elections in may. However, in July the Supreme court of the country ordered that approximately eleven million ballots, due to suspicion of manipulation re-count. Thereafter, the Parliament dissolved, the formation of a government progressing slowly.
Rumors of the influence of Iran
The mess in Iraq to take advantage of his neighbor Iran, says Iraqi political scientist Saad Jawad, who teaches at the London School of Economics. He points out that the protests have begun in the Shiite provinces of the country, and Iran had played may have “a greater role”, he explains,” the Qatari news channel Al-Jazeera.
Iran is taking advantage of the weakness of the Iraqi first policy. Since the termination of the nuclear agreement through the US President Donald Trump economically weakened country to have the electricity and water supply in Iraq capped, because there is a need for this for yourself. But above all, the unrest had also a discrete political message to the United States, said Jawad: “The Iranians want to give the Americans to understand one thing: If you make us problems, we can strike you anywhere – in Syria, in Iraq, the Gulf, wherever.” Seen in this way, would be Iraq again play ball foreign foreign policy interests.
For a unified Iraq: Shiite leader Muqtada al-Sadr
The influence of the foreign countries wanted to overcome the Iraqis through the Parliament elections in may. At the time, she chose the Alliance of Shiite leader Moqtada al-Sadr. Canvassed to the Iraqis after years of war between their families. The confessional contrasts, he made the commitment to the Iraqi nation-state. The Iraqis were of this offer to convince. National unity seemed to them the only way to reach outside of political stability.
This process has not yet come to an end, writes the London newspaper Al Quds al-Arabi, on the occasion of the recent protests. Iran had a “strong influence on the Affairs of Iraq,” it says in the sheet: The protests would be controlled in Parts from Iran. Are not substantiated these conjectures. The in the land of the circulating rumors but as the tense political situation, not only in Basra.