US Flag-Burning Marks War Anniversary in Iraq

Sadr Supporters Rally for Release of Detainees

Protesters marched through the streets, burning American flags and chanting “no, no for occupation.” It was yet another reminder of just how much resentment remains in Iraq over the American military presence.

The supporters of Shi’ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr took to the streets in numerous Iraqi cities after Friday prayers, calling on US and Iraqi forces to release detained members of their faction who “were not involved in acts of violence against Iraqis in accordance with the directives of Sayyid Moqtada al-Sadr.”

The protests come in the wake of the six-year anniversary of the American invasion of Iraq, at a time when many are wondering how much longer the American presence will continue and how much longer the Iraqi populace will have to wait for a return to normalcy.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.