Iraq has been plunged into a new cycle of instability that potentially could be the most dangerous this conflict-scarred nation has faced, barely two years after declaring victory over the
Islamic State group in a war that left much of the country in ruins and displaced tens of thousands.
Instead, Iraqi security forces have been
shooting at young Iraqis demanding jobs, electricity and clean water — and an end to corruption.
It's still unclear why the government chose to exercise such a heavy-handed response to a few hundred unarmed demonstrators who first congregated last week on social media to hold a protest.