Feature: Baghdad seethes as Iraqis rally against Israel, U.S. amid escalating Israel-Iran conflict

The Star

6 days ago

by Xinhua writer Li Jun
BAGHDAD, June 20 (Xinhua) -- "Down with Israel! Down with America!" The fierce chants echoed through Baghdad's sweltering heat, unrelenting as hundreds of Iraqis poured into the streets.
Their fury ignited after the government accused Israel of using Iraqi airspace to mount a massive strike against Iran -- an allegation that poured fuel on Iraqis' long-simmering outrage over Israel's widening conflicts across the region.
"Iraq's skies should not be a corridor for foreign wars," one protester said, declining to give his name. His words captured a broader fear gripping many Iraqis: their country, scarred by decades of violence, could once again be dragged into a conflict not of its making.
The Iraqi government swiftly lodged a complaint with the United Nations Security Council, condemning the airstrike as a violation of its sovereignty and urging Washington to restrain its ally. But on Baghdad's streets, the anger runs deeper.
"The world watched Gaza burn. Then Lebanon. Then Syria. Now Israel strikes Iran," said another demonstrator. "We fear the fire will soon reach us."
The June 13 Israeli airstrike prompted Iraq to abruptly close its airspace. Except for limited flights out of Basra, commercial aviation ground to a halt for days, stranding thousands and deepening a sense of paralysis sweeping across the nation.
The protests are steeped in bitter memories of Iraq's recent past: the 2003 U.S. invasion, the sectarian bloodshed that followed, and the brutal rise and fall of the Islamic State. Each chapter has left Iraq painfully exposed to the region's shifting rivalries. As tensions between Israel and Iran escalate, many here fear Iraq could once again become a battlefield.
Much of the demonstrators' anger is directed squarely at Washington. Although the United States has denied any role in the Israeli strike, many Iraqis remain convinced that America and Israel operate in concert, locked in a long-standing regional alliance.
"We reject the U.S. presence in the region," said Hafidh Abu Ali, standing among the crowd near Baghdad's fortified Green Zone. "Their presence endangers our sovereignty."
The stakes rose further on Sunday when Kataib Hezbollah, a powerful Iraqi militia, threatened U.S. interests across the region if Washington intervened on Israel's behalf. The group demanded the closure of the U.S. embassy and a full withdrawal of American forces from Iraqi soil.
Hours later, the U.S. embassy issued a security alert, urging American citizens to avoid areas frequented by foreigners and to stay clear of large gatherings. Anticipating unrest, Iraqi security forces sealed off a key bridge leading into the Green Zone.
As night fell, the city remained on edge. Protesters lingered beneath the amber glow of streetlights, their chants echoing through the dark. Security forces watched from the shadows, silhouetted against the flickering skyline of a capital haunted by war.
"We call on the peoples of the world to stand with Iran," said protester Abbas Kadhim. "This conflict could ignite the whole Middle East."