Democracy Dies in Darkness

Iraq’s violence reflects an enduring dysfunction

Analysis by
Columnist
August 31, 2022 at 12:01 a.m. EDT
6 min

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First, there was anger, then protests, then a spasm of violence that left dozens dead and hundreds wounded. Now, there’s only an uneasy and fragile calm. For the better part of two decades, Baghdad has endured strife, instability and tragedy in equal measure. But the chaos that engulfed the Iraqi capital on Monday night and Tuesday morning marked the deadliest round of violence in years.