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:

Avsnitt(476)

Why has Israel decided to reoccupy Gaza - and at what cost?

Why has Israel decided to reoccupy Gaza - and at what cost?

Nearly two decades after Israel withdrew from Gaza, dismantling settlements and military posts under Ariel Sharon’s leadership, the Israeli government has now approved a plan to take over the Palestin...

8 Aug 202526min

More states say they will ‘recognise’ Palestine, but what does this mean?

More states say they will ‘recognise’ Palestine, but what does this mean?

A growing number of countries in the West have said they could soon recognise Palestinian statehood as Israel becomes increasingly isolated over its war in Gaza. Fifteen countries issued a joint decla...

2 Aug 202516min

Why is justice so delayed in Beirut port explosion?

Why is justice so delayed in Beirut port explosion?

Five years have passed since the Beirut port explosion – and still the families of the more than 220 victims killed in the blast await justice. Mariana Foudalian is one of them. She lost her sister Ga...

1 Aug 202517min

The Blast Episode 4: Fallout (Re-run)

The Blast Episode 4: Fallout (Re-run)

In the aftermath of the blast, residents took to the streets to sweep the shards of glass and piles of rubble. Meanwhile, politicians bickered and resigned. Judges were appointed to investigate the bl...

28 Juli 202537min

The Blast Episode 3: Zero hour (Re-run)

The Blast Episode 3: Zero hour (Re-run)

Ghassan Hassrouty was working with his colleagues at the port’s grain silos. Sarah Copland, an Australian UN employee, was feeding her son Isaac, 2. And then, it’s zero hour, the moment the blast tore...

28 Juli 202527min

The Blast Episode 2: The six-year wait (Re-run)

The Blast Episode 2: The six-year wait (Re-run)

After the cargo was moved to a warehouse at the port, it sat there for years. This episode connects the dots to understand why the chemical, commonly used in fertilisers and explosives, was neglected ...

28 Juli 202531min

The Blast Episode 1: The Russian and the Rhosus (Re-run)

The Blast Episode 1: The Russian and the Rhosus (Re-run)

In the summer of 2020, Lebanon had already been experiencing some of its worst days, due to a deepening financial crisis and the global pandemic. On August 4, things took a much darker turn. Hundreds ...

28 Juli 202528min

The enduring consequences of mass starvation in Gaza

The enduring consequences of mass starvation in Gaza

Hunger has killed more than 110 people so far in Gaza over the past 20 months of war. And in the past week, the number of deaths has accelerated, causing alarm about a looming full-scale famine in the...

25 Juli 202523min

Populärt inom Politik & nyheter

motiv
p3-krim
aftonbladet-krim
rss-krimstad
rss-viva-fotboll
flashback-forever
spar
svenska-fall
fordomspodden
aftonbladet-daily
rss-vad-fan-hande
rss-sanning-konsekvens
rss-krimreportrarna
olyckan-inifran
rss-frandfors-horna
svd-ledarredaktionen
rss-flodet
kungligt
krimmagasinet
rss-expressen-dok