In Iraq, supporters of cleric Muqtada Sadr shock the leadership
Some things, once broken, can never be fixed. That thought has dominated conversations in Baghdad's capital in the week since supporters of a powerful Shiite Muslim cleric stormed the heavily fortified Green Zone. Unlike previous demonstrations that have ebbed and flowed over the last year with little political effect, the thousands of protesters who ransacked […]Nabih Bulos writes for the Los Angeles Times:
Some things, once broken, can never be fixed. That thought has dominated conversations in Baghdad's capital in the week since supporters of a powerful Shiite Muslim cleric stormed the heavily fortified Green Zone.
Unlike previous demonstrations that have ebbed and flowed over the last year with little political effect, the thousands of protesters who ransacked parliament and accosted fleeing lawmakers shocked the country's perpetually bickering leaders and left many wondering whether the country's embattled prime minister will survive in office.
As supporters of the cleric, Muqtada Sadr, left the manicured lawns of an area that had been largely off-limits to them for 13 years, Sadr threatened to bring down the government and force new elections if the legislature fails to approve a Cabinet of technocrats — one not dictated by ethnic and sectarian quotas.
More than a week later, the reverberations could still be felt.
