Iraqis have been protesting since December 21st and they've repeatedly asked for the world's support and wondered, "Obama, If you Cannot Hear Us Can you Not See Us?" (photo via Iraqi Spring MC).
Tuesday, April 23rd, Nouri al-Maliki's federal forces stormed a sit-in in Hawija, Kirkuk. Alsumaria noted Kirkuk's Department of Health (Hawija is in Kirkuk) announced 50 activists have died and 110 were injured in the assault. Saturday, UNICEF informed the world that 8 of the dead were children and twelve more children were left injured.
If they'd be seen and heard before April 23rd by most Americans, would Nouri al-Maliki have dared send in forces to slaughter the peaceful protesters?
Some are paying attention. Last week, Nussaibah Younis argued "Why Maliki must go" (New York Times). Younis isn't the only one to make the argument still the US government continues to supply Nouri with weapons (that he uses on the Iraqi people). Last week, Jim Fuquay (Fort Worth Star-Telegram) noted, "Lockheed Martin Aeronautics in Fort Worth will keep building F-16s a bit longer, thanks to an $839 million contract to suppy 18 of the jeft fighters to Iraq. According to the announcement this week from the Air Force, the contract is expected to run through April 30, 2014."
The head of the European Parliament's Delegation for Relations with Iraq, wrote a column for UPI which noted:
Angered at critics in the press who have highlighted the spiraling violence and human rights abuse in Iraq, Maliki has banned al-Jazeera and nine Iraqi TV channels, eight of which are Sunni. Without licenses, news crews from the banned channels will be arrested if they attempt to operate in Iraq. Iraq's descent into another sectarian civil war, prompted by Maliki's determined efforts to marginalize the Sunni population, has become an embarrassment to the United States, which regard the Iraqi prime minister as their adopted son. U.S. State Department assertions that they were leaving behind a "functioning democracy," following the withdrawal of American troops from Iraq, now have a hollow ring. Mass demonstrations against Maliki have been going on in six of Iraq's provinces and most of the major cities for the past four months. Hundreds of thousands of protesters are pouring onto the streets, particularly following Friday prayers, to demand an end to sectarian oppression, human rights abuse and arbitrary executions.
But instead of supporting the protesters, the US government has repeatedly supported Nouri.
Which is how a massacre like the one on April 23rd happens in the first place.