Iraqi prime minister to resign amid protests

(Image credit: REUTERS/Khalid al-Mousily)

last updated 30 November 2019

Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi on Friday announced his resignation following Wednesday's firebombing of the Iranian consulate in Najaf and weeks of antigovernment protests that have left hundreds dead, The New York Times reports. In a statement, Mahdi said that his decision would allow Iraq to "preserve the blood of its people, and avoid slipping into a cycle of violence, chaos, and devastation," although his successor has not been named.

At least 400 protesters have been killed since the beginning of October, with 40 shot dead by security forces in three cities Thursday and early Friday. The demonstrators, a mix of educated, urban idealists and working-class Shiite Muslims, have been protesting perceived government corruption, as well as unemployment and what they see as Iran's influence over the country.

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Jacob Lambert is the art director of TheWeek.com. He was previously an editor at MAD magazine, and has written and illustrated for The Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia Weekly, and The Millions.