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Baghdad's Residents Fear Renewed Civil War

With the Sunnis in Anbar and Mosul demonstrating against what they call the Iraqi government’s sectarianism, Baghdad residents fear that their mixed city may once again become the main arena for civil war, writes Mushreq Abbas.
Sunni Muslims chant "Allahu Akbar", meaning God is great, during an anti-government demonstration in Ramadi, 100 km (62 miles) west of Baghdad, March 8, 2013.Thousands of Sunni Muslims protested after Friday prayers in huge rallies against Shi'ite Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, demanding that he step down. REUTERS/Ali al-Mashhadani (IRAQ - Tags: CIVIL UNREST POLITICS RELIGION) - RTR3EQ8A
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“When a civil war erupts in Iraq, its main theater is Baghdad.” Baghdad residents know that fact. Their city has about 7 million people and was the scene of fighting between various militias in the civil war that lasted from 2006–2008.

The numbers show that the fighting and sectarian displacement during that war transformed Baghdad’s demography. For the first time, Baghdad acquired pure Shiite and Sunni neighborhoods.

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