随着突尼斯和埃及的革命，伊拉克也爆发了游行示威。虽然游行示威在这几年被习惯性地忽略了，但规模却在不断扩大，并且已经获得了摇摇欲坠的伊拉克政府的较大妥协。
抗议人群要求得到基本的公民服务，工作以及结束已经导致政府不得不叫停与美军的亿元F16战斗机合同腐败问题。另外，总理努里•马利基正在寻求修改宪法以便限制他的团队只运作2个任期（这样就不用在2014年进行第三次选举），并且保证裁掉自己35万美元薪水的一半。
2月的示威游行被官方视为“非法”，但被马利基歉意地称为“正确”，让伊拉克从北边的基尔库克争议地区到南边的纳贾夫颤抖起来。在阿尔-迪瓦尼耶，700名向警方投掷石头的抗议者被枪声驱散。在巴格达附近的萨达尔城，纳贾夫和拉马迪以及其他几个省份，数百名示威者与其他小规模的抗议者一同游行示威。在受到过战争打击的费卢杰的街头，上千名示威者也进行着示威抗议。
在伊拉克一个更大规模的示威游行来了。男女老少，商店老板，学生，失业者，卫生保健工人和技师们，纷纷表达了他们的意愿。“我们要求保障公民自由权，腐败的政府必须得到惩罚，并且我们能够得到更好的基础服务和便宜些的石油，”来自萨达尔城的一个示威者说。“没有电，没有生命，”“我们要食物”“让阿尔•马利基下台，”其他人说。
结果是显著的。
“没有战斗机合同了，”政府发言人阿里•达巴接受法新社采访说。90亿美元已经被打上了购买F16战斗机的标记，而这本来是用来提供配给和社会福利的。美国军队在伊拉克的发言人，杰弗瑞•布坎南准将称，从长远利益来看，18架战机的价值是30亿美元。而食物配给预算会从30亿元上升到40亿元。
起义之风不只在伊拉克的外面刮了起来，国内也不例外。经过一个周末的抗议之后，2月16日，上千人在巴格达西南100英里的库特游行。大约2000人攻击政府办公楼并与警察发生冲突，最终1人死亡多人受伤。“告诫所有公民，电只供官员”布告如是所写。
IN THE wake of revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt, demonstrations in Iraq that had been routinely ignored for years have swelled in size and already won major concessions from a shaken Iraqi regime.
Protests demanding basic civil services, jobs and an end to corruption have rocked the government enough for it to call off a billion-dollar deal with the U.S. military for F-16 fighter planes. Additionally, Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki is seeking a constitutional change to limit his office to two terms (and thus would not run for a third in 2014) and pledged to cut his $350,000 salary in half.
Demonstrations in February that were deemed "illegal" by authorities, but called "a right" by the apologetic al-Maliki, hit Iraq from as far north as Kirkuk of the so-called disputed territories to at least as far south as Najaf. In Al-Diwaniyah, 700 protesters hurling stones at police were dispersed by weapons fire. Hundreds demonstrated in Baghdad's Sadr City neighborhood, Najaf and Ramadi, along with smaller protests in several provinces. A thousand or more hit the streets of the war-pummeled city of Falluja.
A broad range of Iraqi society was represented at the demonstrations. Men and women, young and old, shop owners, students, unemployed, health care workers and technicians, turned out to state their demands. "We demand that our civil freedoms are guaranteed, that corrupt officials are punished, and that we get better basic services and cheaper fuel," demanded one protester in Sadr City. "There is no life without electricity," "Give us food," and "Down with al-Maliki," said others.
And the results have been striking.
"No more fighter contract," a government spokesperson Ali Dabbagh told Agence France Press. Some $900 million had been earmarked for the purchase of F-16s, which will be used instead to finance rations and social benefits. Speaking for U.S. forces in Iraq, Brig. Gen. Jeffrey Buchanan says the long-term value of the 18 aircraft was $3 billion. The food rations budget will be increasing from $3 to $4 billion.
Winds of uprising have spread not only from without, but within. After a weekend of protests, thousands marched in Kut on February 16, a city about 100 miles southwest of Baghdad. Some 2,000 attacked government offices and clashed with police, resulting in one dead and dozens injured. "To all citizens: Electricity is only for officials" read placards.
[ 本帖最后由 萨马拉 于 2011-3-5 12:52 编辑 ]