Why Baghdad's Attempts to Mollify Protests Are Falling on Deaf Ears

MIN READOct 25, 2019 | 17:37 GMT

Burning tires block roads in Baghdad during protests on Oct. 5, 2019. Issues including corruption, poor public services and unemployment have fomented public anger at the Iraqi government. Its options for responding will come at a cost.

(AHMAD AL-RUBAYE/AFP via Getty Images)

Deadly anti-government protests in Iraq have shed fresh light on the fragility of Iraq's post-2003 government and economy. Like episodes of significant unrest in 2011, 2015, 2016 and 2018, these protests include calls for improvements in social services, an increase in economic opportunities and an end to government corruption. But in terms of scale and scope, this spate of protests is unprecedented, perhaps portending the beginning of a moment of transition for Iraq’s government -- not only for Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi's current administration, but also the broader system of governance as a whole....