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Iraq Protests Morph Amid Iran-US Crisis

Heather Murdock

   BAGHDAD - "Militias kidnapped my son," shouts Umm Mohammad, a
   43-year-old mother of two, under a tent awning in central Baghdad. "Why
   isn't anyone doing anything?"

   Businesses around here have been closed for months as full-time protest
   camps occupy Tahrir Square and the surrounding area.Roads are shut
   down, and a tower of Iraqi flags resembling a Christmas tree blows in
   the wind.The only vehicles are motorcycles and three-wheeled Tuk-Tuk
   cars.

   Most of the protesters' demands have not wavered since the
   demonstrations began in October. They say they want jobs, health care,
   security, an end to widespread abject poverty and corruption, and new
   leadership. But as Iraq continues to be the battleground for the United
   States' and Iran's ongoing crisis, protesters are expected to expand
   their demands on Friday.

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