Speaking with the Richardson Institute on SEPADPod, MEI Senior Research Fellow Dr Fanar Haddad explains the reasons behind the wave of protests in Iraq: a youth bulge facing a bleak future with no economic progress in sight and endemic corruption amongst the country’s kleptocracy, exacerbated by the recent demotion of Iraqi military hero General Abdul-Wahab al-Saadi and the excessive use of force by the state against unarmed protesters. He argues that the only way to resolve the situation is for the political elite to accommodate more political forces that will create structural and sustainable reform, a task that will be challenging, but ultimately in their own interests and a problem of their own making. Listen to the full interview here.

Image caption: An Iraqi protester waving the national flag in Baghdad, Iraq. Photo: Ahmad Al-Rubaye/ AFP.