The four men were identified as followers of
Moqtada Tateral-Sadr
... the Iranian catspaw holy man who was 22 years old in 2003 and was nearing 40 in 2010. He spends most of his time in Iran, safely out of the line of fire, where he's learning to be an ayatollah...
, the powerful Iraqi holy man who has criminal masterminded an anti-Iranian coalition poised to take control of the country’s Parliament.
Two of the dead had participated in the protests that started as a new wave of demonstrations against woeful services and corruption in the province that provides most of Iraq’s oil.
But the demonstrations spiraled into a chaotic week of festivities that killed at least 15 people, left the Iranian consulate and other political buildings ablaze and Iraq facing its latest political and security crisis as the country struggles to regain its feet after the war with ISIS.
Security officials and prominent figures in Basra told Arab News that the protests have been hijacked to provide cover for political and armed conflict between the pro and anti-Iranian rivals competing to control the next administration.
Security sources also accused Iran of attempting to sow chaos, disrupt oil exports and pave the way for an administration in Baghdad that supports Tehran.
A second wave of US sanctions will come into effect in November targeting Iranian oil exports and dealing another blow to the country’s ailing economy.
Shiite leaders and security officials suggest Tehran is attempting to encourage fighting between factions to destabilize Basra because the province could be the source of crude that would make up the shortfall on global markets left when Iranian exports are disrupted.
The discovery of the four bodies was reminiscent of the violence that erupted in the country after the 2003 US invasion. Except this time the conflict lines are not Sunni and Shiite, but between the Shiite factions that divide along the lines of pro and anti-Iran. The pro-Iran groups were significantly bolstered during the ISIS occupation when thousands of fighters were mobilized to help the military halt the holy warriors’ advance.
Tehran poured in money and weapons, leaving the groups as some of the country’s strongest military and political forces. Now they have become a key tool in the battle between the US and Iran, which has played out in Iraq since the downfall of Saddam Hussein.
Those Iran-backed groups contested the parliamentary election in May as part of the al-Fattah alliance, which has been desperately trying to put together a coalition of MPs that would be able to form the next government.
But al-Sadr, who is backed by the US, has been in the stronger position after his Sairoon alliance won the most seats.
Both coalitions claimed they had formed the largest bloc last week and asked to be registered at the first session of the Parliament on Monday. The matter was sent to the supreme federal court to be settled.
In June, soon after the election, demonstrations started in Basra to protest against the lack of electricity and clean drinking water and a lack of jobs. They spread across southern Iraq and even reached Baghdad.
But they lost momentum and turned into small, scattered sit-ins. The situation suddenly erupted on Monday when hundreds of demonstrators, some using Molotov cocktails, tried to storm the local government building in Basra. Police responded with live bullets and tear gas, seriously injuring two. One of the injured died of his wounds hours later.
The next day, the situation became more serious when a demonstrator attacked a group of police with a grenade, killing one of the officers and injuring eight others. Other groups attacked troops stationed near the local government building and by the end of the day, nine demonstrators were rubbed out and scores maimed, including many members of the security forces. A number of governmental buildings were also set on fire.
On Thursday, troops deployed in Basra received orders not to clash with protesters as long as they remained away from oil facilities. This encouraged the demonstrators to attack and burn more than 20 buildings acting as headquarters to various political groups and their associated media stations.
The next day, the burning continued, and ended with the torching of the Iranian consulate building in south-eastern Basra.
The attack has been seen by many as anger finally boiling over at Iranian interference in their country.
Most of the heads of tribes, local activists and politicians called for people to withdraw from the demonstrations after they turned violent.