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Violence pervades Iraqi political life

A look at Iraq’s historical events shows that violence has been part of the country’s political life for many years.
Members of the Iraqi parliament gather to vote on Iraq's new government at the parliament headquarters in Baghdad, September 8, 2014. The Iraqi parliament approved a new government headed by Haider Abadi as prime minister on Monday night. REUTERS/Thaier Al-Sudani (IRAQ - Tags: CIVIL UNREST POLITICS) - RTR45FLN
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The wave of violence in Iraq, the bombings in the streets and the armed operations associated with the war raging between the Iraqi forces and the Islamic State since June 2014 have been depicted by the media from various angles. Yet violence is the common denominator in the various news bulletins broadcast by the many media outlets.

Another kind of violence, however, lies behind the images circulating in the media. Iraqi politics has seen many violent events over the years, as violence is deeply rooted in the country's political history, for various ideological and partisan reasons. The last king of Iraq, King Faisal II, was killed along with his family on July 14, 1958, at the hands of the army that had led a coup against the kingdom (1921-1958). Some researchers have claimed that Iraq enjoyed economic prosperity and real democracy at the time.

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