Analysis by PMOI/MEK
July 17, 2018 – People in Iraq’s central and southern provinces have been protesting poor services for more than a week now. Demonstrations have become bloody as security forces are seen opening fire on protesters, leaving many killed and injured.
Interesting is how the Iraqi people have expanded their protests and are targeting the Iranian regime’s meddling in their country. This is no spontaneous turn of events.
For the past 40 years, the Iranian regime has been dreaming of taking complete control over Iraq through the slogan of reaching “Quds through Karbala,” and establishing the cornerstone of its “Shiite Crescent” across the region. This is exactly why Iranian regime founder Rouhollah Khomeini continued the war with Iraq despite numerous ceasefire requests.
Following the US occupation of Iraq, the Iranian regime found a golden opportunity to realize its long-term dream. Spending billions of dollars in Iraq, Tehran has launched dozens of political parties and front institutions throughout Iraq. The Badr Organization, Asaeb Ahl Al-Haq and … These parties all have military wings and armed groups who’ve assassinated hundreds of pilots, sheikhs, political figures and intellectuals throughout Iraq. Hundreds of Iran-made road-side bombs and car bombs were discovered and confiscated by the US military. Today, even Iraqi children consider the Iranian regime being behind all bombs, explosions, and killings in Iraq. They’re heard cursing and expressing their abhorrence regarding the mullahs’ regime.
The Iranian regime has also been fully behind a campaign of instigating sectarian wars in Iraq. Killing and torturing Sunni leaders and caretakers of Sunni mosques routinely. This is still considered a very common trend in this highly troubled country.
In the first years of the Iraqi occupation, nearly 100 mutilated and tortured dead bodies were found each day. It is still quite common to find the dead body of those opposing the Iranian regime. The US military has on many occasions found safe houses where such Iraqis were tortured and murdered. Jaderiya Prison, where Iran’s Revolutionary Guards operatives were busy killing Iraqis, was one such facility.
In parallel fashion, the Iranian regime continues to provide financial support to Sunni extremist groups to stage attacks on Shiite groups, further fueling sectarian wars in this country. Following their arrest by US forces, numerous senior al-Qaeda officials confessed to being in contact with the Iranian regime.
Currently, Iraqi political parties affiliated to Tehran literally act above the law and are seen staging armed parades in city streets. They are committing horrendous crimes under the pretext of fighting ISIS. And enjoying the cover of building Shiite shrines and establishing religious institutions, they are involved in a variety of embezzlement, crimes, financial corruption, drug smuggling and …
The majority of the Iraqi people blame the Iranian regime for a number of ISIS-linked Sunni groups mushrooming in their country. Hundreds of Sunni villages have been leveled to the ground by armed Shiite extremists associated with the Iranian regime, forcing the locals to migrate to other areas. This has encouraged Sunni youths to join Sunni extremist groups and seek revenge.
Former Iraqi prime minister Nouri al-Maliki, known for his close ties to Iran, enjoyed the support of Tehran and billions of dollars from Iran during his premiership. He now has a private army in this country and stands accuses of allowing ISIS leaders to freely and secretly establish their ranks and files. He is continuing his crimes in Iraq as we speak and is not held accountable by the judiciary.
The Iraqi people are saying enough is enough. Iran’s full expulsion from Iraq, including all of Tehran’s operatives, is the sole solution that can save this country. This is exactly why ongoing protests in Iraq are evolving into slogans of “Iran, out, out.”
