Iraq Video: Evaluating the Surge in Anti-Government Protests (Al Jazeera English)

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Last week tens of thousands of mainly-Sunni Iraqis turned out in protests against the Government of Nuri al-Maliki, blocking roads to Jordan and Syria.

The catalyst for the most recent demonstrations was the raid by security forces on the home and offices of Minister of Finance Rafa al-Issawi, the highest-ranked Sunni in the Government after Vice President Tariq Hashimi fled the country following the accusation that he supervised death squads. However, long-standing grievances include discrimination, marginalisation of Sunnis, and the anti-terrorism law.

Al Jazeera English's Inside Story discusses the situation with Saad al-Muttalibi, a political advisor to the Government; Anas al-Tikriti, the CEO of the Cordoba Foundation; and Kurdish journalist Hiwa Osman.