On Nov. 21, thousands of Iraqis protested a measure that would allow the U.S. to continue its illegal occupation.
The Iraqi parliament will vote on the proposal on Nov. 26. The measure would provide a superficial stamp of approval for U.S. troops to remain for three more years and limits Iraq’s ability to govern crimes and abuses perpetrated by U.S. occupiers.
A bloc of Sunni leaders is expected to withhold support for the measure, and Iraq’s most influential Shiite cleric has expressed dissatisfaction with its terms. Proponents claim the deal would pave the way for Iraqi sovereignty over their land.
Chanting “No, no to the agreement of humiliation!” the demonstrators pelted an effigy of George W. Bush and set fire to the hated image after it fell from its pedestal. The protest took place in the same square where U.S. Marines toppled a statue of Saddam Hussein following the 2003 invasion.
