Article

2022-08-29 Iraq

Iraq Presidential Palace Stormed, US Embassy Helicopter Evacuation

From al-Shafaq

[PJMedia] The Commander-in-Chief of the Iraqi Armed Forces, Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi, headed an emergency meeting with senior security commanders to discuss the ongoing tension inside Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone.

According to a readout issued by his bureau, al-Kadhimi urged the demonstrators to immediately evacuate the Green Zone to avoid hampering the social peace.

The Prime Minister instructed the security forces to pursue utmost caution when dealing with the protestors and protect public and private properties.

Earlier today, Moqtada al-Sadr said he was quitting politics and closing his institutions in response to an intractable political deadlock, sparking protests by his followers and raising fears of more instability.

Al-Sadr's supporters, who have been staging a weeks-long sit-in in Baghdad's fortified Green Zone, a sprawling area of ministries and foreign missions, stormed the main cabinet headquarters and demonstrated inside after his announcement.

Iraq's Joint Operations Command (JOC) declared a curfew from 3:30 p.m. (Iraq time) and urged the protesters to leave the Green Zone to avoid festivities.

During the stalemate over forming a new government, al-Sadr has galvanised his legions of backers, throwing into disarray Iraq's effort to recover from decades of conflict and sanctions and its bid to tackle sectarian strife and rampant corruption.

Al-Sadr was the biggest winner from an October election but withdrew all his politicians from parliament in June after he failed to form a government that excluded his rivals, mostly Iran-backed Shiite parties.

Al-Sadr has insisted on early elections and the dissolution of parliament. He says no politician who has been in power since the U.S. invasion in 2003 can hold office.

"I hereby announce my final withdrawal," al-Sadr said in a statement posted on Twitter, criticising fellow Shiite politicians for failing to heed his calls for reform.

He did not elaborate on the closure of his offices, but said that cultural and religious institutions would remain open.

Al-Sadr has withdrawn from politics or government in the past and also disbanded militias loyal to him. But he retains widespread influence over state institutions and controls a paramilitary group with thousands of members.

He has often returned to political activity after similar announcements, although the current political deadlock in Iraq appears harder to resolve than previous periods of dysfunction.

The current impasse between al-Sadr and Shiite rivals in the Coordination Framework has given Iraq its longest run without a government.

Supporters of the mercurial holy man then stormed Baghdad's central government zone. Since then, they have occupied parliament, halting the process to choose a new president and prime minister.

Iraq's top cleric al-Sistani does not pick up calls despite heightened tension-sourcehttps://t.co/bTEogx6w3S
— SHAFAQ News (@Shafaqnews) August 29, 2022

Al-Sadr followers picket government departments in Maysan, Dhi Qarhttps://t.co/MIpmQqA6AY
— SHAFAQ News (@Shafaqnews) August 29, 2022

(Reuters) - As gunfire echoed over Baghdad, some people were seen firing guns towards the ranks of supporters of Sadr, Reuters witnesses said, while others fired into the air, in a nation awash with weapons after years of conflict. Supporters of rival groups also hurled rocks
— Phil Stewart (@phildstewart) August 29, 2022

#BREAKING Death toll in #Baghdad clashes rises to 8
— Guy Elster (@guyelster) August 29, 2022

Reports: 12 protesters shot dead in Baghdad Green Zone clashes. pic.twitter.com/zGIqhXDStd
— PTVBreaking (@PTVBreaking1) August 29, 2022

The protesters have stormed the swimming pool of Iraq’s presidential palace in Baghdad

Read: https://t.co/uFPO7j9Kqn pic.twitter.com/CxnIwEuFiK
— RT (@RT_com) August 29, 2022

The White House denies reports that it has evacuated the #US Embassy in Baghdad and calls for calm as violence threatens to further destabilize an already tense situation in #Iraq.https://t.co/d7jZFUEFzp pic.twitter.com/cmPPOOhJAH
— Al Arabiya English (@AlArabiya_Eng) August 29, 2022

Posted by DarthVader 2022-08-29 11:50|| || Front Page|| [23 views ] Top

#1 President dipshit gets to oversee two countries the US has fled in humiliation from

Posted by DarthVader 2022-08-29 11:51|| 2022-08-29 11:51|| Front Page Top

#2 Let me guess: The CIA didn't see it coming and the Pentagone was caught flat footed.

Posted by M. Murcek 2022-08-29 11:53|| 2022-08-29 11:53|| Front Page Top

#3 seems to be a sort of power play by either pro Iran or anti Iran elements (or maybe even both).

Posted by Lord Garth 2022-08-29 11:57|| 2022-08-29 11:57|| Front Page Top

#4 Pictures I saw had al-Sadr's ugly mug featuring on the signs.

Question: is this part of the pay-off to Iran, or just incompetence on the part of the administration?

Posted by Rob Crawford 2022-08-29 11:59|| 2022-08-29 11:59|| Front Page Top

#5 Let's see if that senile dolt can make it a hat trick of failure.

Posted by Nguard 2022-08-29 12:01|| 2022-08-29 12:01|| Front Page Top

#6 Do either of the combatant parties require additional ammunition ?

Posted by Besoeker 2022-08-29 12:01|| 2022-08-29 12:01|| Front Page Top

#7 Don't even bring that up besoeker, we're already paying for Ukraine and Russias bullshit.

Posted by Chris 2022-08-29 12:22|| 2022-08-29 12:22|| Front Page Top

#8 If we had a real president, they'd drop a MOAB on it once the US has cleared out of the palace. Follow it up with ARC lights across the city and FASCAM deployed on the outskirts. Then bring all our stuff and let them enjoy themselves.

Posted by Silentbrick 2022-08-29 12:27|| 2022-08-29 12:27|| Front Page Top

#9 If the US media doesn't report it, did it happen?

Posted by Secret Master 2022-08-29 12:28|| 2022-08-29 12:28|| Front Page Top

#10 Maybe he will make another visit to our favorite peanut farmer for updated advice.

Posted by Super Hose 2022-08-29 12:34|| 2022-08-29 12:34|| Front Page Top

#11 If we end up having to go house to house like Hue or Fallujah, we will have to schedule that around our transgender surgery schedule.

Posted by Super Hose 2022-08-29 12:37|| 2022-08-29 12:37|| Front Page Top

#12 What is the point of having an expensive embassy in an unstable nation when they have diplomats in the US. We should just close it, blame Iraq for not providing adequate security, and make the Iraq's beg for an audience when they want something.

Posted by ruprecht 2022-08-29 12:39|| 2022-08-29 12:39|| Front Page Top

#13 Don't the Iraqis know that the mid-terms are coming up? Damned inconsiderate of them to embarrass Biden at this point.

Posted by Matt 2022-08-29 12:42|| 2022-08-29 12:42|| Front Page Top

#14 Ok now I wonder what kind of secrets and plans were left behind.
Bidenm gave the Taliban $80B, what did Biden give Tater?

Posted by CrazyFool 2022-08-29 13:17|| 2022-08-29 13:17|| Front Page Top

#15 You mean that billion-dollar embassy?

Posted by DooDahMan 2022-08-29 13:18|| 2022-08-29 13:18|| Front Page Top

#16 Hmmm... you think the Capital Police were on-hand to open the door for the visitors?

Posted by CrazyFool 2022-08-29 13:20|| 2022-08-29 13:20|| Front Page Top

#17 Well, we're still winning in Ukraine, or something.

Posted by Regular joe 2022-08-29 14:45|| 2022-08-29 14:45|| Front Page Top

#18 Let's see if that senile dolt can make it a hat trick of failure, again.

Posted by Skidmark 2022-08-29 15:28|| 2022-08-29 15:28|| Front Page Top

#19 Liberty's Torch, or, Rebranding

Miss Liberty's nobody's fool:
"In my crown would shine many a jewel
If your aim in those wars
That you game from afar
Were--"
"Democracy?"
"No, dear. Mob rule."

Posted by Blinky Slealing7597 2022-08-29 17:20|| 2022-08-29 17:20|| Front Page Top

#20 In related news:

US Forces Likely to Return Back to Afghanistan: McKenzie

Posted by Abu Uluque 2022-08-29 17:23|| 2022-08-29 17:23|| Front Page Top

#21 ~~shine~~ gleam. Synonyms... whuffo they abominate me?

Posted by Blinky Slealing7597 2022-08-29 17:28|| 2022-08-29 17:28|| Front Page Top

#22 On the surface it seems like Tater is the good (less bad) guy here. That’s scary.

Posted by Glenmore 2022-08-29 19:30|| 2022-08-29 19:30|| Front Page Top

#23 Ok now I wonder what kind of secrets and plans were left behind.
Bidenm gave the Taliban $80B, what did Biden give Tater?

The traditional one-year anniversary theme is 'paper'.

Posted by swksvolFF 2022-08-29 19:41|| 2022-08-29 19:41|| Front Page Top

#24 Does anyone know if they took any hostages?

Seemed to work great in Iran. Tater might try to reproduce it.

Posted by CrazyFool 2022-08-29 20:03|| 2022-08-29 20:03|| Front Page Top

#25 Live feed https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSVJAeiTyTU

And if you tune in now, Heavy fighting

Posted by newc 2022-08-29 20:54|| 2022-08-29 20:54|| Front Page Top

#26 Has tater tot said anything yet?
Usually comes out and says something when crap like this goes down
It's bad enough sistani has not said a word

Posted by newc 2022-08-29 21:45|| 2022-08-29 21:45|| Front Page Top

#27 Another feed live https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kf24SSOA3Bk

Posted by newc 2022-08-29 22:49|| 2022-08-29 22:49|| Front Page Top