Biden's connection to western Iraq's demonstrations: details of Babel's residents' protests in Al-Anbar

Shafaq News / Activists from Babel governorate are preparing to demonstrate in Al-Anbar governorate in western Iraq, the stronghold of Parliament Speaker Mohammed al-Halbousi, only days after an unsuccessful attempt for they were prevented from entering Al-Anbar, in a move that has caused much confusion.

The Babel's residents' attempt to demonstrate in Al-Anbar has angered provincial officials and elders, considering that their city is not a capital or a decision-making center in the country.

After protesters, led by Dhurgham Majid, a prominent activist on the protest grounds, gathered in Al-Anbar's thresholds, provincial elders and close associates of Parliament Speaker Mohammed al-Halbousi pledged that the protesters' demands would be met in just one week, in return for not entering and protesting in the governorate's cities, which was the stronghold of paramilitary organizations such as ISIS and al-Qaeda, before it was freed.

"The deadline will expire next Friday. If the demands are not met, we will have a return to demonstrate in Al-Anbar," activist Dhurgham Majid told Shafaq News agency.

Why Al-Anbar?

"Insisting on demonstrating in Al-Anbar aims to achieve our demands before we demonstrated in the stronghold of Speaker Mohammed al-Halbousi, who represents the Legislative authority, and has the right to hold the PM and ministers accountable. We have already demonstrated on the National Wisdom Movement and others, in various central and southern governorates, all of which are aimed at fulfilling our demands, including the dollar's high price, the budget, and the electricity crisis," Dhurgham Majid said.

"Al-Halbousi has promised more than once to implement our demands, but he lied to us. He must meet our demands and retract his sectarian statements and his support for Biden's divisive project, through which he wants to form the Al-Anbar Region. We will allow neither al-Halbousi nor anyone else to do so. Al-Anbar is part of Iraq, and it is everyone's right to enter it and demonstrate there," Dhurgham added.

Activist Dhurgham Majid referred to leaks about parliament speaker Mohammed al-Halbousi's intention to lead a project to create a region that includes predominantly Sunni Muslim cities, including Al-Anbar governorate.

With President Joe Biden in power in the U.S., the idea of creating regions in Iraq is back on the table, as, after 2003, the President of the United States introduced the creation of three regions belonging to Shiite, Sunni, and Kurdish communities.

Iraq has a single region, Kurdistan, where Kurds have been self-governing since the 1990s.

Community peace or sedition?

"We have reached out to the elders of the central Euphrates governorates, and they have rejected the movements of some of their provincial residents to demonstrate in Al-Anbar, and deterred them from any action that causes strife among the people of the same country as this behavior harms community's peace," said Shoish Abdullah Shoish, head of the Albu Issa al-Qaisiya tribe.

"If Dhurgham and those with him are looking for politicians, their place is known in Baghdad, and there is no justification for moving his demonstrations to Al-Anbar, which is absolutely unacceptable," Shoish told Shafaq News agency.

"Some intend to harm Al-Anbar, and the implementation of suspicious plans in the governorate is carried out through the implementation of such movements. So, even if the local government and security forces allow the entry of the demonstrators, we will confront them," he continued.

Reform or a new calamity?

"We support the demonstrations if they are directed towards criticizing the government or politicians, to correct the course. However, Al-Anbar has suffered a lot, and it is in a situation similar to the patient who just got out of the operating room and is trying today to rise through the campaign of reconstruction, reunification, and the return of the displaced persons. It cannot bear the consequences of demonstrating," said Ghazi al-Kaoud, a member of the Iraqi parliament.

"Protesters from the southern and central governorates have the right to express their opinion in any Iraqi city, and we are in favor of that, but what is the purpose of transferring these protests to Al-Anbar, especially since it is not a capital and is not inhabited by decision-makers?" al-Kaoud told Shafaq News agency.

"The urgency of trying to move the demonstrations to Al-Anbar is a conspiracy. If it is not, then it is mismanagement because there is no result of them," he added.

"Have the demonstrations started to protest against local officials in Al-Anbar? Or on the central government? If it is on the latter, then they should protest in Baghdad, and if it is on Al-Anbar's officials, I will assure them that the governorate's residents will protest if it is necessary without the need to outside demonstrators whom we do not know what their agendas are," al-Kaoud continued.

He also pointed, " We do not know what would happen to the demonstrators if they came, our security forces might be unable to protect them, they may be exposed to any incident, and we would be blamed for that. We cannot allow new bloodshed."

As for Issa al-Aday, director of the Yarmouk Center for Studies and Strategic Planning, he said, "We can choose the timing and place to organize any national position, and we are ready to support any movement aimed at serving the country. However, today, we are working to rehabilitate the citizens and solve their problems that were caused by the war in Al-Anbar."

"Any interference in the governorate's affairs by any party is rejected," al-Aday continued, expressing his fear of developments in an untold direction, as parties are trying to confuse the situation in Al-Anbar, "Words and positions will be used to prevent any danger that may affect the governorate."