Iraq’s Parliament Building Falls: ‘Green Zone’ Breached By Al-Sadr Protestors

Hundreds of protestors storm Iraq’s government buildings for the second time in one week. The troubled nation’s governing bodies sit in a fortified ‘Green Zone.’ A spattering of foreign embassies are located nearby. The initially tense atmosphere has abated and protestors can even be seen in conversation with security personnel. However, the disorder underlies greater political strife in the ‘Cradle of Civilization.’

The disgruntled mass is composed of followers of the Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, leader of a populist and traditionalist faction in opposition to the Iran-backed leadership, a coalition known as The Coordination Framework. Mostly male, the demonstrators can be seen praying, chanting, taking shade under tents and waving pictures of their leader and inspiration al-Sadr. The Framework had been attempting to nominate their own candidate as Prime Minister, Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani, until proceedings were suspended by the intruders. In addition to wanting a return to a more traditional and religiously oriented society, followers of the al-Sadr movement advocate for a firm break with Iran.

Concerns over corruption and the economy have also factored into popular restlessness. Emerging from elections in October 2021 with the largest bloc but without the majority needed to govern, al-Sadr has since failed to reach a consensus with The Framework and the other representatives. Al-Sadr’s walkout in June stalled government formation even further. The 10 month long political vacuum has been the longest since the country’s leadership under Saddam Hussein was toppled by a coalition of U.S., U.K. and Australian forces in 2003. The dispute between the entrenched Coordination Framework and the al-Sadrists is more than ideological. Zeidon Alkinani, analyst with the Arab Centre in Washington D.C., cites the personal rivalry between al-Sadr himself and former Prime Minister and al-Sudani ally, Nouri al-Maliki, as “another layer to the crisis” (Al-Jazeera).

In light of Putin’s recent visit to Tehran, in which he shored up support for his war in Ukraine from Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, the disposition of Iraq’s future leadership could prove significant for wider global geopolitics. While the American government will welcome the al-Sadr movement’s repudiation of Iran, it is likely to be less than enthusiastic about its commitment to Islamism (the belief that Islam should guide political as well as person life.) The current political vacuum may, in the worst case, preclude civil turmoil in an ethnically, religiously and linguistically diverse country. Even the al-Sadr movement is not fully unified and has seen itself splintered into different factions.

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