[ad_1]
US diplomatic missions in the Iraqi capital and Basra oil center in Iraq appeared to be the target of rocket fire on Saturday, a day after protesters burned political class and foreign interference.
The rockets were fired at the Basra airport, which houses the US consulate, but landed outside the outer perimeter and caused no damage, according to Jihad Diwan, media officer for the Iraqi Civil Aviation Authority. . Earlier Saturday, rockets were also fired at the Baghdad Green Zone, where the US embassy is located.
Protests began this summer following power outages, but erupted this week after several protesters were killed by security forces. On Thursday, protesters set fire to the offices of most political parties in Basra, including powerful Iran-backed paramilitary groups.
Additional troops were sent to Basra to restore order on Saturday, and Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi removed the city's chief of police from office. Abadi, who was hoping for a second term after the election this year, is currently fighting for political survival, with two major political factions calling him to resign.
The attacks indicate that the rivalry between the United States and Iran – which support rival political groups in Iraq – could enter a new dangerous phase as they attempt to shape the formation of the country's next government. Iraq is already facing a list of challenges after three years of fighting against ISIS, including rebuilding devastated areas and preventing defeated militants from regaining the upper hand.
Iran-backed militia commanders, whose offices in Basra were also set on fire by protesters, accused the United States of inciting attacks against them and the Iranian consulate.
"For every action, there is a reaction," said Qais al-Khazaali, leader of the Iranian-backed League of the Righteous Militia, at a press conference shortly afterwards. fire of the Iranian consulate. "If they [the U.S.] want to go further by burning offices and other actions that we can resist within the confines of self-defense. "
According to a senior official of the Iraqi Interior Ministry, the rockets were fired towards the green zone of the capital, a few hours after the intervention of Mr. Khazaali. The official said it was unclear who fired the rockets but they came from Jamila district, east of Baghdad, where Shiite militias are very active.
The US State Department condemned "violence against diplomats, including the one that occurred today [Friday] in Basra. "
The US embassy in Baghdad refused to comment on Saturday's violence but confirmed Friday a separate rocket attack against the green zone. The mortars landed on empty ground and caused no damage, Interior Ministry spokesman Saad Maan said.
Iraqi political analyst Basim al-Awadi said the targeting of the green zone seemed intended to send a message to the United States against interference in the formation of a government. "It really sends risky messages for the situation in Iraq," he said.
Iran has played a leading role in Iraqi politics since the invasion of the United States 15 years ago and the overthrow of Saddam Hussein, reinforcing the country's Shia majority. It expanded its military presence in Iraq during the war against the Islamic State and turned those gains into a more political influence in the May elections, when its allies won the second-largest number of seats.
The populist cleric Moqtada al-Sadr won the most votes, but his relatively low margin means that he must form a coalition to govern. His alliance with Mr. Abadi is quarreling with a coalition led by his predecessor Nouri al-Maliki and the paramilitary commander and former Iranian-backed minister Hadi al-Ameri.
The United States does not want Iran's closest allies in Iraq to dictate the formation of a government, especially as it seeks to isolate Tehran diplomatically and economically. US officials have pushed Sunni and Kurdish parties to join a coalition that includes Abadi.
At least nine people were killed in the Basra protests this month, according to the Iraqi Human Rights Commission. Amnesty International has accused the unidentified security forces of being responsible for the deaths, saying they opened fire on protesters who, in turn, threw stones and, in some cases, gas bombs.
Write to Isabel Coles at [email protected] and Ali Nabhan at [email protected]
