Anti-Iran Sentiments in Iraq; Reality or US, Allies’ Deception

The Iraqi people’s rallies which were aimed at protesting at the economic conditions and corruption in the country were soon deviated from their main course and many national and historical symbols as well as certain sites belonging to Iran, which pioneered in helping Iraq in fighting the ISIL terrorists, were insulted and set on fire.

The important point witnessed in the protest rallies in Iraq was the targeted display of anti-Iran sentiments of Iraqis in the media outlets of those regional states that are against Iran.

Political analysts believe that the popular rallies in Iraq were not aimed at protesting at Iran’s policies, the senior Shiite clerics and other national symbols of the country, but the Iraqi people are angry at the inefficiency of the ruling system in resolving problems, including shortage of water and electricity, unemployment, poverty and corruption.

The Americans played a key role in the recent unrests in Iraq after they failed in their first plot implemented through a planned military coup by General Abdolwahhab Sa’edi, the commander of the anti-terrorism service, who was dismissed in September.

Therefore, the US started its second plot which entailed overthrowing the Shiite-led government, as Iran’s ally, and replacing it with a Sunni government with anti-Iran stances.

The Arabic-language Iraqi news agency Boratha described the main leaders of the recent riots in Iraq as the Ba’athists who dream of returning to power, the Wahhabis with anti-Shiite sentiments, the Zionists with the aim of taking revenge from Iran, the crusaders who oppose Islam, al-Sarkhis who take order from the British and Dutch embassies in Baghdad and are opposed to the senior Shiite clerics, and seculars who oppose religion.

The main goal of such an undeclared alliance is elimination of the Shiites’ role in Iraq’s ruling system and dimming Iran’s influence in the country by attacks against its diplomatic centers which started by attacks against the Iranian consulate in Basra in September 2018 and continued by attacking Iran’s consulates in Najaf, Karbala and Basra.

The Arabic-language al-Ahd news website in an analysis wrote that if the protestors have negative feelings against the presence of foreigners why they did not target the consulates of the US and Britain and merely set fire at the Iranian mission.

Another issue which proves foreign sides have been trying to hijack the Iraqi people’s protests for their own agenda is the international community and different countries’ silence on attacks against the Iranian diplomatic missions in Iraq which should be condemned based on the international laws.

The Lebanese Arabic-language al-Akhbar newspaper had earlier disclosed some documents on the US embassy’s role in the recent unrests in Iraq, adding that several committees in the US mission have been formed to this end, including the high committee of protests for coordination and management of the protest rallies, the psychological operations team which mobilizes the opposition forces in the streets through the social media, a special team to make documentaries about the rallies and exaggerating the security mistakes, the international pressure group which organizes protest rallies in front of the Iraqi missions in different foreign states, a media team to cover the protest rallies and security mistakes of Iraqi armed forces, an electronic technology team to help with removing internet filtering and providing alternative programs and applications for communication, an aiding team to help the wounded protestors and teaching them to confront the anti-riots forces and a logistic team to supply food, water and first aid to the protestors.

Meantime, many documents have emerged about Saudi Arabia and the UAE’s role in the recent unrests in Iraq to take revenge from Iran which helped the Arab country in fighting against the ISIL terrorists who were supported by Riyadh and Abu Dhabi.

The Arabic-language al-Akhbar newspaper revealed recently that Saudi Arabia has allocated $150mln to support the unrests and overthrow the government in Iraq while the UAE plays the role of a planner to implement anti-Iraq plots and empower a military ruler in Iraq with the help of the Saudi and American media, including al-Arabiyah, al-Horrah, CNN (Arabic), BBC and al-Sharqiyah.

Also, failure of all governmental efforts to end the protest rallies, including resignation of Prime Minister Adel Abdol Mahdi and his proposal to change the parliamentary system into a presidential system, indicates that Iraq is facing a full-fledged sedition.

Seyed Hadi Seyed Afqahi, an analyst on West Asia issues, told FNA that the project to sow discord between Iran and Iraq started long time ago.

“The atmosphere ruling the popular protest rallies in Iraq is not against Iran, and the individuals who attacked the Iranian consulates in Najaf and Karbala are those who chant slogans against Hashd al-Shaabi and want its dissolution, set fire at the public properties and target the ordinary people,” Seyed Afqahi said.

He added that the reality of recent protests in Iraq was revealed in the past week massive rallies held to support the senior Shiite clerics during which the protestors chanted anti-US, anti-Israel and anti-Saudi slogans.

Seyed Afqahi said that the Iraqis should ask a number of questions from themselves; Is Iran interfering in Iraq or Saudi Arabia which has 6,300 affiliated terrorists in al-Iraq’s Naseriyeh prison? Is Iran meddling or Turkey which has occupied a part of Ba’ashiqeh in the Iraqi Kurdistan region despite the Iraqi government’s warnings?

“Behind the scene of anti-Iran slogans in Iraq unrests are those countries which have been harmed by Iran’s aid to Iraq in confrontation against the ISIL and their mutual cooperation,” he concluded.