US Embassy attack backfires on Iran-backed militias in Iraq
The attack against the US Embassy in Baghdad by Iranian militias inside Iraq received no support from the Iraqi public and sparked much criticism against Iran, which led the militias to end the attack before achieving any of their goals.
The attack on the US Embassy in Baghdad Dec. 31 was a public disgrace for Iranian militias in Iraq, as they failed to attract public support, forcing them to end the attack before they planned to without succeeding in their goals.
Despite the mass mobilization, only a few hundred people attended the protests against the US Embassy, stating publicly they would stay there until the embassy closed and US troops left Iraq. They set up tents and cooking facilities in preparation for an extended stay.
They organized groups at the Green Zone gates to help facilitate entrance for volunteers interested in joining the protests. Al-Monitor was able to see several invitations in WhatsApp groups and other communication platforms and on social media beseeching people to join them from all parts of Iraq.
However, not only did the number of protesters at the US Embassy not increase, but it decreased significantly. They organized another attack on the second day, Jan. 1, and comparisons between the two attacks showed clearly the number had reduced.
