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New scandals pour more fuel on Iraq protests

The popular protests in Iraq are still spreading, putting the government into even more of a corner.
An Iraqi demonstrator burns tires during the ongoing anti-government protests in Najaf, Iraq November 18, 2019. REUTERS/Alaa al-Marjani - RC2ODD964QFI

The protests are escalating rapidly in Iraq, with the players moving fast and adding more fuel to an already burning region. This increasingly complex conflict is not just reshaping the country's politics, but affecting the entire region.

Every day a new scandal against the government comes up, most recently surrounding documents revealed by The Intercept on Nov. 17 exposing Tehran's power in Iraq. Unidentified militias shell the Green Zone every now and then, most recently on Nov. 17, threatening the US and Iraqi governments if the governments take action against the militias. The Iranians and Americans are competing to shape Iraq's future and the protesters are pushing to turn the entire political system upside down.

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