• Military

• WMD Menu                           

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

Sadr Supporters Storm Iraqi Parliament

by Edward Yeranian April 30, 2016

Supporters of Iraq's mercurial Shi'ite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr have stormed the Iraqi parliament, after entering Baghdad's government-controlled "Green Zone." A Saturday session of parliament to approve members of a new government had been called off for lack of a quorum earlier in the day.

Hundreds of mostly young Muqtada al-Sadr supporters chanted and waved Iraqi flags inside parliament after breaking through barriers and entering the government-controlled "Green Zone." The action came after Sadr criticized Iraqi leaders for opposing efforts to impose government reform.

He says that (Iraqi) politicians are ready to create a civil war to protect their positions and he warned that a popular uprising or revolution would take place to put an end to corruption in the government.

UN office closed

Arab media reported that the U.N. had closed its office in Baghdad and was trying to evacuate personnel. Al-Arabiya TV reported that several foreign embassies, including the U.S., were also evacuating personnel from the "Green Zone." VOA could not independently confirm the report.

The Iraqi government's Baghdad Operations Command declared a "state of emergency" inside the capital shortly after demonstrators began entering the "Green Zone." It was not immediately clear if Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi had ordered elite troops fighting in Anbar Province to return to the capital to restore order inside the Green Zone.

Most Iraqi political leaders, including the president, prime minister and speaker of parliament, live inside the Green Zone and it was not clear if troops were continuing to protect them. Sadr told supporters during a speech earlier that they should act "peacefully."

Iraqi media, however, reported that the large crowd inside parliament was "destroying furniture and electrical equipment."

U.S. Vice President Joe Biden met top Iraqi leaders during a visit to Baghdad several days ago to discuss the political situation and military operations inside the country to defeat Islamic State militants.