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The death toll from anti-government protests in Iraq rose to nearly 100 on Saturday, the fifth day of protests, the country's parliamentary human rights commission said. Additionally, Saudi-owned television station Al-Arabiya said masked gunmen stormed their Baghdad offices, injuring several employees and smashing their equipment.

Security agencies fatally shot 19 protesters and wounded more than three dozen. Authorities have been trying to control the protests through curfews and a near-total internet blackout, according to BBC News.

The semiofficial Iraqi High Commission for Human Rights put the death toll at 94 and said nearly 4,000 people have been wounded since Tuesday, when mostly young demonstrators spontaneously initiated the rallies to demand jobs, improvements to electricity, water and other services, and an end to corruption in the oil-rich nation.

The violent deadlock presented the conflict-scarred nation with its most serious challenge since the defeat of ISIS two years ago and deepened the political crisis of a country still struggling with the legacy of multiple, unfinished wars since the U.S. invasion in 2003.

"It has been 16 years of corruption and injustice," said Abbas Najm, a 43-year-old unemployed engineer who was part of a rally Saturday in the square. "We are not afraid of bullets or the death of martyrs. We will keep going and we won't back down."

Scrambling to contain the demonstrations, Iraqi leaders called an emergency session of parliament Saturday to discuss the protesters' demands. But they lacked a quorum due to a boycott called by influential Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, leader of parliament's largest bloc. On Friday, al-Sadr called on Prime Minister Abdul-Mahdi's government to resign and hold early elections, saying the shedding of blood of Iraqis "cannot be ignored."

Abdul-Mahdi said in an address to the nation that the protesters' "legitimate demands" had been heard, but he defended the deadly response of security forces as a "bitter medicine" that was necessary for the country to swallow.

In a desperate attempt to curb the growing rallies, authorities blocked the internet Wednesday and imposed a round-the-clock curfew on Thursday. The curfew, ignored by protesters, was lifted at 5 a.m. Saturday, allowing shops to open and traffic to flow in most of Baghdad before the new demonstrations began.

As in previous days, protesters waited to gather until the afternoon, when temperatures were cooler and ensured greater participation, and security forces responded by opening fire.

Health and security officials said more than a dozen people were killed and about 40 wounded in the capital on Saturday when security forces opened fire during protests in various neighborhoods, including central Tahrir Square, which remained closed to cars, and around which special forces and army vehicles deployed in an operation that extended as far as 1.2 miles away. The forces also unleashed tear gas, said health, police and medical officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not allowed to brief reporters.

A protester who refused to be named for fear of repercussions said anti-riot police directly opened fire at the protesters. The military initially tried to stop the police but ultimately left the area, the protester said.

In a smaller, peaceful rally earlier Saturday in the capital, demonstrators raised banners demanding the resignation of Abdul-Mahdi and an investigation into the killings of protesters.

Thousands of protesters also took to the streets in the southern cities of Nasiriyah and Diwaniyah, defying a curfew still in place there. In Diwaniyah, at least one protester was killed as demonstrators marched toward local government offices, a medical official and human rights official said. They did not provide details.

In the restive city of Nasiriyah, demonstrators torched the offices of three political parties and a lawmaker whom they blame for their country's ills. Security forces responded with gunfire, but there was no immediate word on casualties, said the officials, who described the protest as "very large."

Abdul Mahdi's office and Parliament Speaker Mohammed al-Halbusi have called on protest representatives to meet with them so they could hear their demands. In a televised meeting in parliament, al-Halbusi met with a group of Iraqis and tribal representatives, mostly in their 50s and older, to discuss the country's myriad problems. Al-Hablusi repeated promises to address unemployment and poverty.

But the promises did nothing to stop the unfolding street violence. The deadliest day was Friday, when 22 people were killed in Baghdad. Health officials said many of those victims were wounded in the head and chest.

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Iraq protests: Death toll climbs to nearly 100 as protests ...

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - One of Iraqs most influential clerics called on Friday for the government to resign as the death toll rose to 65 in three days of violent national protests against official corruption.

Demonstrators gather at a protest during a curfew, three days after the nationwide anti-government protests turned violent, in Baghdad, Iraq October 4, 2019. REUTERS/Alaa al-Marjani

Moqtada al-Sadr, a populist political leader who has a huge following on the Iraqi street, said new elections should be held soon.

Respect the blood of Iraq through the resignation of the government and prepare for early elections overseen by international monitors, a statement from his office said.

Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi called for calm as more than 190 people were wounded in the capital on Friday, but protesters scorned his promises of political reform.

Sadrs intervention appeared likely to encourage them to continue their uprising until the government backs down.

On the streets of Baghdad, police appeared to be targeting individual protesters. Reuters reporters saw one fall to the ground after being shot in the head. He was pronounced dead in hospital.

Elsewhere, a Reuters television crew saw a man critically wounded by a gunshot to the neck after snipers on rooftops opened fire at a crowd. Sporadic shooting could be heard in Baghdad into the late evening.

Police shot dead three people trying to storm the provincial government headquarters in the southern city of Diwaniya, police and medics said.

The violence is the worst since Iraq put down an insurgency by Islamic State two years ago. The protests arose in the south, heartland of the Shiite majority, but quickly spread, with no formal leadership.

Security and medical sources gave a death toll on Friday of 65 killed and 192 wounded across Iraq in three days, the vast majority of the deaths in the last 24 hours as the violence accelerated.

It is sorrowful that there have been so many deaths, casualties and destruction, Iraqs most influential cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, said in a letter read out by his representative during a sermon.

The government and political sides have not answered the demands of the people to fight corruption or achieved anything on the ground, said Sistani, who stays out of day-to-day politics but whose word is law for Iraqs Shiites. Parliament holds the biggest responsibility for what is happening.

Sadr, who leads the largest opposition bloc in parliament, ordered his lawmakers to suspend participation in the legislature until the government introduces a program that would serve all Iraqis.

The speaker of Iraqs parliament called the protests a revolution against corruption but urged calm and proposed reforms such as better state housing support for poor people and ensuring Iraqi graduates are included on lucrative foreign projects for energy sector development.

Many government officials and lawmakers are widely accused of siphoning off public money, unfairly awarding contracts in state institutions and other forms of corruption.

The violence is an unprecedented test for Adel Abdul Mahdi, a mild-mannered veteran politician who came to power last year as a compromise candidate backed by powerful Shiite groups that have dominated Iraq since the downfall of Saddam Hussein in 2003.

In his overnight address, Abdul Mahdi pledged reforms but said there was no magic solution to Iraqs problems. He insisted politicians were aware of the suffering of the masses: We do not live in ivory towers - we walk among you in the streets of Baghdad, he said.

A young man in a crowd fleeing sniper shots at a central Baghdad square was scornful. The promises by Adel Abdul Mahdi are to fool the people, and today they are firing live gunshots at us, he said.

Today this was a peaceful protest. They set up these barricades, and the sniper is sitting right there since last night.

Police and medical sources told Reuters the death toll so far included 18 people killed in the southern city of Nassiriya, 16 in Baghdad, four in the southern city of Amara and four in Baquba as unrest spread north of the capital. Deaths were also reported in the southern cities of Hilla and Najaf.

Curfews were imposed in a number of cities. Authorities shut roads into the capital from the north and northeast and were sending reinforcements to Baghdads densely populated east. Military convoys were being sent to Nassiriya.

Abdul Mahdi said late on Friday that a curfew in Baghdad would be lifted from 5 a.m. local time on Saturday.

The unrest occurs on the eve of Arbaeen, a Shiite pilgrimage which in recent years has drawn 20 million worshippers, trekking for days on foot across southern Iraq in the worlds biggest annual gathering, 10 times the size of the Mecca Hajj.

Some pilgrims were already taking to the roads on Friday, although in smaller numbers than in recent years. Iran has closed one of the border crossings used by millions of pilgrims. Qatar has told its citizens to stay away.

A senior Iranian cleric blamed the unrest on the United States and Israel, saying they aimed to thwart the pilgrimage.

The protests could grow if they receive formal backing from Sadr, who has long denounced corruption and the political elite. Parliament was set to hold a session dedicated to finding a solution, but Sadrs faction was staying away.

Sadr has not called on his followers to join the protests, but his faction has expressed sympathy with their aims. One senior Sadrist politician, Awad Awadi, described the protests to Reuters as a revolution of hunger.

Reporting by John Davison, Ahmed Rasheed, Reuters Television staff in Baghdad, Aref Mohammed in Basra and Ali Hafthi in Hilla; Writing by Peter Graff and Giles Elgood; Editing by William Maclean, Howard Goller and Grant McCool

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Death toll surges to 46 as Iraq unrest accelerates; cleric ...

Amman Culture: Tea, Art und Markets

We start exploring Amman, City of the brotherly love, which was called "Philadelphia" by the ancient Greeks. With a knowledgeable local tour guide the enjoyment is accordingly high.Start with a photo stop at King Abdullah mosque. Then head to the citadel, called Jebel al-Qala'a, from which you can enjoy a fascinating panoramic view of the Former 7 Hills of Amman. On the highest terrace of the citadel hill are parts of the Omayyad palace, Al Qasr, and not far from it, rise the mighty columns of the former Hercules temple in the sky. On the circular route you will visit the archaeological museum, which presents finds from a period of over 50,000 years.As long as this place was interesting for people, they settled here already at the Stone Age, here they manufactured hand axes, here they created artifacts, which are still highly artistic today. 8,000-year-old figures from the Neolithic settlement of Ain Ghazal witnessing the artistic characteristics of the civilizations lived here.We visit Amman downtown, which is referred to as Wast Al Balad, which made up Amman until 50 years ago, before the construction boom broke out. Today, 4.4 million people live in the new neighborhoods, mainly immigrants from Palestine, Iraq and currently from Syria.2 hours walk from the Citadel through one of Amman's oldest neighborhoods is planned for beautiful snapshots, it highlights the top experiences of the old town. On the way visit Amman Panorama Art Gallery, in one of Amman's oldest houses where you can have a cup of Arabic coffee with Jordanian dates or enjoy tea with typical Jordanian flavors.The most significant in the old town is the astonishingly well-preserved Greco-Roman theater with its six thousand seats in the southeast of the city. You go past gold dealers, perfumeries offer original Jordanian fragrances with a special oriental touch, spice shops, the obligatory clothing stores for child, man, woman bring us closer to the city. Not far away is the Al-Husseini Mosque. Behind the big mosque the fruit and vegetable market lure us. Humus & falafel shops are to be discovered almost every corner. Not to mention the sweetshops famous for Knafa,a traditional Arab dessert made with thin noodle-like pastry, or alternatively fine semolina dough, soaked in sweet, sugar-based syrup, and typically layered with cheese.

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Iraq travel - Lonely Planet

As the head of Jordans Nafith Logistics, Nourah Mehyar is used to being one of the few women in an industry dominated by men. She doesnt want others to get used to it, though. Her work to integrate and promote women in Iraqs logistics industry earned her MIGAs first Gender CEO Award, which honors outstanding leaders for their commitment to gender equality in a challenging environment.

Nafiths groundbreaking work in Jordan led to a $5 million equity investment from IFC in 2014 so the company could take its expertise to Iraq, where its systems help manage freight at four major Iraqi ports. Mehyar heads a workforce of about 250 employees in total and says the role has definitely had its challenges.

Most of the time youre sitting in a meeting where you are the only woman and men are the main stakeholders, she says. In the beginning, we only had three women out of 250 employees. Since 2008, weve managed to introduce women in several sectorsIT, finance, and HRbut my biggest accomplishment was to actually introduce women in operations.

Mehyars main goal in Iraq, she says, was to ensure that women were given equal opportunities to apply for jobs.

I have been happily surprised with the number of women that have applied and have the right qualifications, she says. Today, women comprise around 40 percent of our operations team.

Mehyar says bringing women into the logistics sectorand to work in generalrequires constant mentoring of both women and men to help with skills like communication, teamwork, and collaboration.

Introducing women in such industries also needs a culture change from within the organization to ensure sustainability and growth, she adds.

Mehyars hopes to expand Nafith further and take its expertise into other countries, where she will continue to encourage more women to join the sector.

Women are an untapped potential in logistics, and I think they can bring a new perspective to the table, she says. I hope this award will inspire women and girls to make their own life choices and get rid of internal and external limitations.

Published in April 2016

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The U.S. ordered its non-emergency government staff to leave Iraq amid increasing Middle East tensions that American officials are blaming on Iran, as fears rise that the region may be heading toward another conflict.

Most employees at the U.S. embassy in Baghdad and the consulate in Erbil, in the majority Kurdish region, will leave due to an increased threat stream, according to an embassy statement Wednesday that didnt give more details. The move comes after the Pentagon accelerated a carrier battle groups transit to the region and deployed a Patriot anti-missile battery to bolster forces.

U.S. officials on Wednesday reiterated that the Trump administration isnt seeking a war, but said it will seek to hold Iran accountable for its actions and those of its proxies. The officials, who asked not to be identified, said the decision to withdraw embassy staff was based on considerations of safety and not meant as political signaling.

Denying reports of infighting in his administration over Iran policy, President Donald Trump said in a tweet Wednesday that Im sure that Iran will want to talk soon.

@realDonaldTrump

.Different opinions are expressed and I make a decisive and final decision it is a very simple process. All sides, views, and policies are covered. Im sure that Iran will want to talk soon.

Sent via Twitter for iPhone.

View original tweet.

Yet critics of the Trump administration warned the U.S. isnt sharing enough clear evidence of Iranian threats and say that without better intelligence, the latest buildup is reminiscent of the lead-in to the Iraq war in late 2002, which was based on faulty intelligence. Iranian officials have said that National Security Advisor John Bolton and other administration hawks are hyping the threat of war.

Separately, Saudi Arabia restarted its main cross-country oil pipeline after a drone attack by Iran-backed rebels based in neighboring Yemen. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates both Iranian rivals reported attacks on Monday on several vessels including Saudi oil tankers.

.@realDonaldTrump : ICYMI, before you hired him, this was the plan that @AmbJohnBolton and his #B_Team cohorts had for Iran. A detailed blueprint for #FakeIntelligence, #ForeverWar and even empty offers for talksonly phone numbers were not included.https://t.co/beCZByEaCT pic.twitter.com/q5fXBGcwtj

Javad Zarif (@JZarif) May 12, 2019

While its not yet clear who was behind the shipping attacks, the combination of events has raised the risk of conflict in a region that exports more than 16 million barrels of oil a day enough to supply all of Europes demand and more.

The U.A.E.s minister of state for foreign affairs, Anwar Gargash, said the country is still investigating the attacks on the ships and said hes not going to jump the gun on blaming any nation until the probe is completed. Addressing tensions in the region, Gargash said we are very committed to deescalation.

Trump has long said he wants to pull the U.S. out of Middle East conflicts, but this week he also warned that the Islamic Republic would suffer greatly if it provokes America.

Trump on Tuesday rejected a report that the Pentagon is updating scenarios for war with Iran, but then warned hed send a hell of a lot more than 120,000 troops to the Middle East in the event of hostilities. Lawmakers on Capitol Hill are demanding briefings on the latest intelligence on Iran, with Secretary of State Michael Pompeo expected to meet with House members next week, according to an official.

Jack Reed, the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said a classified briefing is needed as soon as possible.

While the administration didnt elaborate, it blamed Iran-backed Shiite militias after pulling staff from the consulate in Basra in southern Iraq in September and Pompeo used an unannounced May 7 visit to the country to denounce what he called an escalating threat from Tehran.

Yet unlike in other hot spots such as Venezuela and North Korea, where the U.S. managed to forge an international coalition to advance its goals, Trump is diplomatically isolated on Iran after unilaterally quitting the 2015 nuclear deal a year ago, a move that alienated allies including the U.K. and Germany.

Amid the tensions, oil prices rebounded on Wednesday as a government report showed shrinking supplies of U.S. gasoline, suggesting more demand ahead for crude suppliers.

The series of events has increased concerns of a military confrontation, whether deliberate or otherwise.

Pompeo canceled a trip to Germany last week in order to make the unannounced visit to Iraqs capital, where he spoke with leaders about an escalating threat from Iran and possible big energy deals to help wean the Iraqi economy away from its neighbor. This week, Pompeo made scant progress in persuading EU counterparts to take a harder line toward Iran in an last-minute trip to Brussels to share what the U.S. says is fresh intelligence on the threat posed by Tehran.

I made clear once again that we are worried in view of the developments and the tensions in the region, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said after the meetings. We dont want a military escalation. German officials on Wednesday said the country wasnt aware of a concrete threat or change to the security situation in Iraq.

A spokesman for the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad said the departures announced Wednesday did not amount to an evacuation, but to an ordered exit of non-essential personnel. He declined to say how many employees would remain. The last such drawdown took place in 2014, when Islamic State swept through the north of the country toward the capital. It lasted several months.

Shiite Muslim Iran has played a prominent role in Iraq since the U.S.-led invasion of 2003 put Iraqs majority Shiite community in power. Tehran supports several powerful Shiite militias in Iraq, including some that played a significant role in the successful fight against Islamic State.

Trump says Irans missile program and support for militant groups is destabilizing the Mideast region and he has made countering the Islamic Republic a primary focus of his foreign policy, encouraged by Iranian foes led by Saudi Arabia, the U.A.E. and Israel.

In recent weeks, the U.S. ratcheted up the pressure on ruling clerics by scrapping waivers that had allowed some countries to carry on importing Iranian crude, and designating the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Irans elite military unit, as a terrorist organization.

Iranian officials have warned of what they said is a disinformation campaign. Last month, Foreign Minister Javad Zarif said that the targeting of his nation could take a dangerous turn and trigger a wider crisis. He suggested hard-liners in Washington and Saudi Arabia may be plotting an accident anywhere in the region.

The U.S. assessment of an increased Iranian threat was disowned on Tuesday by the British deputy commander of the international campaign to defeat Islamic State, Major General Christopher Ghika. Theres been no increased threat from Iranian-backed forces in Iraq and Syria, he said in a briefing for Pentagon reporters.

In an unusual airing of differences, U.S. Central Command then issued a statement rejecting Ghikas comments as running counter to the identified credible threats available to intelligence.

Gargash, the U.A.E. minister of state, said that the current situation in the region means we need to emphasize caution and we need to emphasize good judgment. Its a very brittle, difficult situation.

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