Iraq protests continue despite calls for calm
Protests continue in Iraq for the fourth day in a row despite the prime minister's and other figures' efforts to calm the streets.
As the protests in Iraq continue for the fourth day in a row, Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi and Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani spoke separately about possible solutions to the unrest. But their talks weren't enough to convince the protesters to go home.
In a televised address, Abdul Mahdi told protesters their voices have already been heard and their demands are legitimate. He promised the protesters to address their demands and asked the parliament to support him in amending his Cabinet.
But Abdul Mahdi emphasized there is no “magical solution” for the situation and “the government cannot solve all the problems in one year.” He said his government inherited the ongoing problems from the past and it cannot be blamed for the all issues.
Abdul Mahdi warned about the rising demands among some of the protesters to overthrow the whole political system and hand power to an impartial military figure — to former Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Forces Cmdr. Abdul Wahab al-Saadi in particular.
