Iraq could face another summer of bloodshed

Iraq could face another summer of bloodshed

Hundreds of protesters converged on the streets of the southern Iraqi city of Basra last week. Demonstrators across the province are calling for structural change to fix rampant corruption, a stagnant economy, high unemployment and underfunded public utilities. Protests in Iraq are common, but last summer's demonstrations saw an escalation into violence. Hundreds were wounded and killed, and many thousands more were arrested after clashes with police forces. Government buildings were set on fire, and the province was on the edge of revolt. Despite the violence, little has changed. The government still suffers from mismanagement and fraud. The country's elite have done little to improve conditions for the lower classes. As temperatures creep closer to 50°C and the struggling electrical grid and fresh water supply are strained, many question whether the protests will spiral into similar violence. On this week's episode of Beyond the Headlines, host Campbell MacDiarmid speaks with Dr Renad Mansour, a research fellow in the Middle East and North Africa program at Chatham House, and Belkis Wille, the senior Iraq researcher in the Middle East and North Africa division of Human Rights Watch. Read more on our website:

Episoder(477)

End to Syrian civil war could be in sight, while confusion circulates around Lebanon

End to Syrian civil war could be in sight, while confusion circulates around Lebanon

Talks in Sochi, Riyadh and in Geneva could finally spell an end to the Syrian civil war, where millions have been displaced and hundreds of thousands killed. The country has been spinning out of contr...

22 Nov 201725min

In spite of Trump, the world rallies around Paris Agreement

In spite of Trump, the world rallies around Paris Agreement

Less than two years into the Paris Agreement, where 196 countries agreed to curb climate change to less than two degrees this century, the goal is beginning to slip out of reach. President Donald Trum...

15 Nov 201723min

Saudi anti-corruption efforts gather pace

Saudi anti-corruption efforts gather pace

In this episode, we look back at a night that will have deep implications for the future of Saudi Arabia. The foreign press dubbed Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's anti-corruption drive as "Th...

8 Nov 201723min

Cholera on the decline in Yemen, the 100th anniversary of the Balfour declaration, and political drama in Kuwait.

Cholera on the decline in Yemen, the 100th anniversary of the Balfour declaration, and political drama in Kuwait.

Cholera, as it looked to threaten and plunge Yemen into the worst pandemic since Ebola, is on the decline. The drop coincides with the end of the rainy season but could be back for another bout if med...

31 Okt 201728min

Rohingya refugees, the neglected humanitarian crisis

Rohingya refugees, the neglected humanitarian crisis

One of the most heinous humanitarian disasters is taking place today, and the world has never been so slow to react. The Rohingya refugee crisis has seen more than 600,000 members of the Muslim minori...

25 Okt 201728min

Death and destruction in Somalia; conflict in Iraq; astronomical wonder in Abu Dhabi

Death and destruction in Somalia; conflict in Iraq; astronomical wonder in Abu Dhabi

The most deadly attack in Somalia’s war-torn history has rocked the country and claimed hundreds of lives. We look to find out why the two bombs have gone unclaimed by any terrorist organization. We t...

18 Okt 201727min

A growing ISIL influence in the Philippines

A growing ISIL influence in the Philippines

The Philippines are experiencing an ISIL-influenced insurgency from 8,000 KM away. We analyse what might happen if hard-line President Rodrigo Duterte decides to crack down on the Islamist surge on se...

11 Okt 201726min

Separatists in Iraq and Spain vote for independence

Separatists in Iraq and Spain vote for independence

The right to self-determination is not only the core upon which we gauge human rights but it’s considered one of the fundamental freedoms the United Nations outlines as necessary to all mankind. So wh...

4 Okt 201727min

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