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As Saba al-Mahdawi left Baghdads TahrirSquare after a long day of helping protesters on the frontlines, the teargas started to take its toll. Choking, she was brought back to her friends tent. They told her to go home she had done enough for the day.

But she never made it. Just a few hours later,she was kidnapped by unknown men as she got into her car. For two weeks her face circulated on social media and the hashtag: Where is Saba? went viral.

Saba became a symbol of the brave women and of the conscious young people, Mohamed Fadhel, a civil activist and friend of Mahdawis, tellsThe Independent.

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The kidnappings, tortures, and deaths that are intended to scare us will do nothing except increase our presence here until we finish with this failed and corrupt government.

Mahdawi was released earlier this month, but her experience has left an indelible mark on the square as she has become a symbol of the rising presence of female protesters in Iraqs streets: threatened, facing great personal risk,but determined all the same.

Iraqi protesters take cover behind a barricade on Al-Jumhuriya Bridge during an anti-government demonstration in the Iraqi capital Baghdad on 25 October, 2019.

AFP/Getty

Protesters push down concrete walls during a protest over corruption, lack of jobs, and poor services, in Baghdad.

Reuters

Anti-government protesters try to break into the provincial council building during a demonstration in Basra.

AP

Iraqi women protesters march with national flags during an anti-government demonstration in the central holy shrine city of Najaf.

AFP/Getty

An Iraqi protester uses a mobile phone to take a selfie photo with an army soldier standing atop a humvee during a demonstration outside the local government headquarters in the southern city of Basra.

AFP/Getty

Iraqi protesters gather during an anti-government demonstration at the burning local government headquarters in Nasiriyah, the capital of Iraq's southern province of Dhi Qar.

AFP/Getty

Iraqi protesters wave a national flag as they stand atop the gatehouse to the local government headquarters in the southern city of Basra.

AFP/Getty

An Iraqi protester throws back a tear gas canister fired by security forces amid clashes during an anti-government demonstration in Baghdad.

AFP/Getty

Iraqi protesters carry away an injured protester following clashes during an anti-government demonstration in Baghdad.

AFP/Getty

Iraqi security forces stand guard on Al-Jumhuriya Bridge during an anti-government demonstration in Baghdad.

AFP/Getty

Anti-government protesters gather in Tahrir Square during a demonstration in central Baghdad.

AP

The burning local government headquarters in Nasiriyah, the capital of Iraq's southern province of Dhi Qar.

AFP/Getty

Protesters take cover behind a concrete barricade during a demonstration in Baghdad.

AFP/Getty

Iraqi paramedics help injured protesters in Baghdad.

AFP/Getty

Iraqi protesters gather in Baghdad.

AFP/Getty

An Iraqi protester takes cover between concrete barricades in Baghdad.

AFP/Getty

Protesters take cover from teargas canisters fired by security forces in Baghdad.

AFP/Getty

Iraqi protesters take cover behind a barricade on Al-Jumhuriya Bridge during an anti-government demonstration in the Iraqi capital Baghdad on 25 October, 2019.

AFP/Getty

Protesters push down concrete walls during a protest over corruption, lack of jobs, and poor services, in Baghdad.

Reuters

Anti-government protesters try to break into the provincial council building during a demonstration in Basra.

AP

Iraqi women protesters march with national flags during an anti-government demonstration in the central holy shrine city of Najaf.

AFP/Getty

An Iraqi protester uses a mobile phone to take a selfie photo with an army soldier standing atop a humvee during a demonstration outside the local government headquarters in the southern city of Basra.

AFP/Getty

Iraqi protesters gather during an anti-government demonstration at the burning local government headquarters in Nasiriyah, the capital of Iraq's southern province of Dhi Qar.

AFP/Getty

Iraqi protesters wave a national flag as they stand atop the gatehouse to the local government headquarters in the southern city of Basra.

AFP/Getty

An Iraqi protester throws back a tear gas canister fired by security forces amid clashes during an anti-government demonstration in Baghdad.

AFP/Getty

Iraqi protesters carry away an injured protester following clashes during an anti-government demonstration in Baghdad.

AFP/Getty

Iraqi security forces stand guard on Al-Jumhuriya Bridge during an anti-government demonstration in Baghdad.

AFP/Getty

Anti-government protesters gather in Tahrir Square during a demonstration in central Baghdad.

AP

The burning local government headquarters in Nasiriyah, the capital of Iraq's southern province of Dhi Qar.

AFP/Getty

Protesters take cover behind a concrete barricade during a demonstration in Baghdad.

AFP/Getty

Iraqi paramedics help injured protesters in Baghdad.

AFP/Getty

Iraqi protesters gather in Baghdad.

AFP/Getty

An Iraqi protester takes cover between concrete barricades in Baghdad.

AFP/Getty

Protesters take cover from teargas canisters fired by security forces in Baghdad.

AFP/Getty

We are all here threatened. Saba wasnt famous, she was just someone who loved Iraq and was here, and that means that anyone could be kidnapped, says Haneen Ghranem, 27, an activist and protester.

There are many women here. All the women who came out from the beginning, before and after the kidnappingof Saba are still here. All know they could face kidnapping, says Ghranem.

She works at a grassroots radio station, in an abandoned building in Tahrir square that has become a makeshift centrefor protestersdetermined to make womens voicesheard.

All the women here know that they could die at any moment, she adds.

Shes not alone in hoping to inspire more women to go to the square.

Rua Khalaf, 31, was one of the few women present at the very beginning of the protests on 1 October when snipers used live rounds to fire directly on demonstrators in the streets.

Khalaf showsthe picture of herself that went viral (Pesha Magid/The Independent)

I wanted to go so it would be remembered that women were there, she says.

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She has been participating in protests since 2015, and says that earlier protests did not have the same representation of women as they do now.

The marches paused in mid-October during the holy Shia pilgrimage of Arbaeen, but when they resumed women began to attend in numbers previously unseen in Iraqi protests.

On 25 October, Khalaf wore an Iraqi flag wrapped close around her shoulders, and her face turned against the drifting teargas.

Her friend snapped a photo of her profile and posted it online and suddenly her face was everywhere.

She goes to the square daily, coordinating food and medical support for the protestersand says she is often recognised on the street.

Now Khalafs face, like Mahdawis, has become iconic within TahrirSquare. Graffiti artists plan to paint a portrait of her on a wide wall in the Saadoun underpass leading to TahrirSquare, now an informal gallery of revolutionary art.

The participation of women in the protests broke the barriers between men and women;it changed the typical view of women that they stay away from taking part in politics, she says.

Another protester, Nour Faisal, 22, says women are feeling more empowered by coming to the demonstrations.

On1October when I went [to the protests], I was wearing heels. They were shooting and I was running, it was hard to run, but I wore it as a type of protest. I took a photo of my heels and wrote that Iraqi womens heels are straighter than our government, she says.

Picture of Refal al-Azizputting on red lipstick in the mirror of a tuk-tuk vehicle (Pesha Magid/The Independent)

Faisal wants to emphasise that femininity can mean strength, and has a place at the heart of the square.

The woman is there, the women with her beauty and style is going there and can do things, she adds.

Shes not alone in that effort.

Refal al-Aziz, 26, a protester and journalist, made a point to publish a picture of herself putting on red lipstick in the mirror of a tuk-tuk.

The picture went viral, getting shared across social media and published on TV.

I wanted to publish this picture to represent this magnificent participation of women. I thought the thing that represents femininity worldwide is red lipstick and the thing that symbolises the protests is the tuk-tuk, Aziz says.

The humble three-wheeled vehicle has become famous in the protest for nimbly wheeling to the most dangerous areas and rescuing theinjured. Women and tuk-tuks, no one expected they would be there with such strength! Aziz continues.

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Women in Iraq defiantly take to the streets despite fears they 'could die at any moment' - The Independent

Israels F-35 stealth fighters are positively supernatural: here, there and everywhere. In 2018, the Israeli Air Force claimed its new F-35s had attacked Iranian targets in Syria. Also in 2018, Arab press made dubious claims that IAF F-35s had flown over Iran.

Now comes reports that Israeli F-35s have attacked Iranian targets in Iraq, according to Arab media.

Western diplomatic sources allegedly the London-based Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper that on July 19, Tel Aviv carried out an airstrike earlier this month against an Iranian rockets depot northeast of Baghdad.

El Arabiya television reported that the strike hit Iranian ballistic missiles being transported in refrigerated food trucks. Several Hezbollah and Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps members were reportedly killed,

A second strike targeted another Iranian base, according to Asharq Al-Awsat. The Ashraf base in Iraq, a former base used by the Iranian opposition People's Mujahedin of Iran, was targeted by an air raid, according to the newspaper. The base lies 80 kilometers from the border with Iran and 40 kilometers northeast of Baghdad. The sources revealed that the strikes targeted Iranian advisors and a ballistic missile shipment that had recently arrived from Iran to Iraq.

Compounding the mystery were initial reports that unidentified drones conducted the attacks.

Amos Yadlin, former head of Israeli military intelligence, told U.S. publication Breaking Defense that Israel probably did attack Iranian targets in Iraq. Apparently, Israel is really operating in Iraq, he said. It is sensible that Israel will not claim responsibility for such an attack as it may complicate things for the U.S. Without referring to the specific attack I can say that the F-35 is the ideal aircraft for such an attack.

As so often in the Middle East, especially in the shadow war between Israel and Iran, its hard to know exactly what happened. The tale changes with whoever tells it, and why theyre telling it. Still, we can make some educated guesses.

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Did Israel Hit Iraq With F-35 Stealth Fighters This Summer? Here's What We Know. - Yahoo News

US vice-president Mike Pence visited Iraq on Saturday seeking to reassure Iraqi Kurds of US support after President Donald Trumps decision to withdraw troops from northern Syria drew criticism that Washington had betrayed its Kurdish allies there.

His trip included a visit with Nechirvan Barzani, the president of the Kurdistan region in Iraq, and a phone call with Iraqi prime minister Adel Abdul Mahdi to discuss the recent wave of unrest and protests over corruption that have rocked the country.

The visit is also meant to bolster the morale of US troops ahead of next Thursdays Thanksgiving holiday at home.

Mr Pence made two stops during his short trip, which had not previously been announced for security reasons. Travelling on a military cargo plane, he landed first at Al Asad Air Base northwest of Baghdad and talked the by phone with Mr Abdul Mahdi.

We spoke about the unrest thats been taking place in recent weeks here in Iraq, Mr Pence told reporters. He assured me that they were working to avoid violence or the kind of oppression we see taking place even as we speak in Iran.

He pledged to me that they would work to protect and respect peaceful protesters as ... part of the democratic process here in Iraq.

Hundreds have been killed since early October when mass protests began in Baghdad and southern Iraq. Protesters want to dislodge a political class they view as corrupt and beholden to foreign powers, at the expense of Iraqis who suffer from poverty and poor healthcare.

US secretary of state Mike Pompeo said on Monday the US was prepared to impose sanctions on any Iraqi officials found to be corrupt as well as those responsible for the deaths and wounding of peaceful protesters.

The trip allowed the Trump administration a chance to focus on foreign policy even as impeachment hearings against the president led by Democrats consume Washington.

Mr Pence said he reiterated Mr Trumps commitment to an independent and sovereign Iraq. We continue to be concerned about the malign influence of Iran across Iraq, he said.

The vice-president went on to Erbil in the semi-autonomous Kurdish region in Iraq, seeking to show US appreciation for Kurdish sacrifices and to affirm a message of US support for and partnership with Kurdish fighters.

Mr Pence told Mr Barzani at the beginning of their meeting at Erbil airport that he wanted, on Mr Trumps behalf, to reiterate the strong bonds forged in the fires of war between the people of the United States and the Kurdish people across this region.

Last month, Turkey launched an offensive into northeastern Syria after Mr Trumps abrupt decision to withdraw all 1,000 US troops there. Mr Pence brokered a pause with Ankara to allow time for Kurdish fighters to withdraw.

That truce aimed to mitigate the crisis sparked by Mr Trumps announcement, which US Republican and Democratic politicians criticised as a betrayal of Kurdish allies aligned with Washington in the fight against Islamic State.

Asked whether he had to smooth over any sense of betrayal from the Kurds, Mr Pence said: I dont think there was any confusion now among the leadership here in the Kurdish region that President Trumps commitment to our allies here in Iraq as well as to those in the Syrian defence forces, the Kurdish forces who fought along side us, is unchanging.

At the Al Asad Air Base, which Mr Trump visited in a similar surprise trip last year, Mr Pence and his wife Karen helped to serve a traditional Thanksgiving turkey meal to some 700 US troops.

Mr Pence, on his first trip to Iraq as vice-president, did not to go Baghdad to meet the prime minister personally because of safety concerns related to the protests, a US official said. Reuters

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Pence seeks to reassure Kurds of US backing on surprise Iraq trip - The Irish Times

Estimated 350 people believed to have been killed in largest demonstrations since fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003

Iraqi protesters help their fellow protestor, who was affected by tear gas which was dispensed by riot police during clashes following a protest at Al Rasheed street in central Baghdad. EPA

Iraqi protesters take cover during clashes with anti-riot police forces at the Al Rasheed street in central Baghdad. EPA

Iraqi protesters help their fellow protestor, who was wounded during clashes with riot police, following a protest at Al Rasheed street in central Baghdad. EPA

Iraqi protesters try to pull down a concret block which was used by Iraqi police forces to close Al Rasheed street, near the headquarters of the Central Bank of Iraq in central Baghdad. EPA

Iraqi protesters take a rest and eat during a protest at Al Rasheed street in central Baghdad. EPA

Iraqi protesters help their fellow protestor, who was wounded during clashes with riot police forces, following a protest at Al Rasheed street in central Baghdad. EPA

Iraqi protesters clash with anti-riot police forces at Al Rasheed street in central Baghdad. EPA

Iraqi protesters react after police fired tear gas at them during a demonstration at Al-Rasheed street in central Baghdad. EPA

Iraqi masked protesters take cover during clashes with anti-riot police forces at the Al Rasheed street in central Baghdad. EPA

Iraqi protesters take cover during clashes with anti-riot police forces at the Al Rasheed street in central Baghdad. EPA

An Iraqi protester runs to throw tear gas canister back toward riot police forces during clashes with anti-riot police forces at the Al Rasheed street in central Baghdad. EPA

Nine people were killed and dozens wounded in violent clashes between protesters and security forces in Iraq on Monday as prosecutors in Sweden said they were investigating an Iraqi minister for crimes against humanity.

Swedish media identified the subject of the inquiry as Defence Minister Najah Al Shammari, but the Swedish Prosecution Authority did not name anyone.

Media reports suggested the inquiry related to the shooting dead of hundreds of protesters.

The prosecutors said it had received complaints about "an Iraqi minister suspected of crimes against humanity".

It said the investigation was "in a very early stage".

He was identified as Mr Al Shammari, who is also a Swedish citizen but goes by a different name there.

A Swedish-Iraqi lawyer told the Svenska Dagbladet newspaper that he had reported Mr Al Shammari to police in October for his role in the shooting of hundreds of protesters in weeks of unrest.

The minister is also under investigation for benefits fraud, claiming housing and child benefits from Sweden despite living in Iraq, online news site Nyheter Idag reported.

Mr Al Shammari arrived in Sweden in 2009 and was granted permanent residency in 2011 before getting his citizenship in 2015, Expressen reported.

Since October 1, Iraq's capital and south have been swept by mass rallies protesting against corruption, a lack of jobs and poor services.

Those demonstrations have escalated into calls for a complete overhaul of the ruling elite.

Three hundred and fifty protesters have been killed and thousands wounded in clashes with the security forces, AFP estimated.

The authorities in Iraq no longer update their figures.

On Sunday, 13 anti-government protesters died across the country in one of the worst days of violence since the start of the protests.

Updated: November 26, 2019 12:44 PM

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Bloodshed in Baghdad as Sweden investigates Iraq minister for 'crimes against humanity' - The National

While past years saw a country in transition, with sectarian violence particularly from 2005-2008, and strong presence of foreign intervention, the situation in Iraq is changing, and Iraqi-led political processes are maturing. The last United States (... + While past years saw a country in transition, with sectarian violence particularly from 2005-2008, and strong presence of foreign intervention, the situation in Iraq is changing, and Iraqi-led political processes are maturing. The last United States (US) troops withdrew in December 2011, marking the end of eight years of the US-led military presence in Iraq. The international donor community, which has been heavily involved in Iraq over the past years, is incrementally withdrawing or shifting from grant-based reconstruction efforts to loans and partnerships. Two elections have been held since 2003, providing for further maturity in national political processes. The latest elections were held in 2010, resulting in a delicately balanced governing coalition. The Government has been organizing itself to develop and agree on complex national compacts at a country and sectoral level: on sharing the country's national resources through the hydrocarbons law; and designing and implementing strategies in key areas such as energy, education, and pensions. Iraq has returned as an active member of the international community, forging long-term engagements with international organizations and re-connecting with the region at large, reflected, for example, by hosting the 2012 Arab Summit. In 2010, the Government prepared the National Development Plan (NDP) 2010-2014, a medium-term development strategy aimed at providing a framework for the country's sustainable development. To support the country's efforts to build stronger government institutions and a more diversified economy that can deliver services to the population and create jobs, the Country Partnership Strategy (CPS) is structured to pivot around three axes: (i) Improving governance; (ii) supporting economic diversification for broadly-shared prosperity; and (iii) improving social inclusion and reducing poverty. The key focus areas which shaped existing programs (i.e. public financial management, strengthening institutions, private sector development, infrastructure, and service delivery) remain relevant in this context.

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Iraq - Country partnership strategy for the period FY13 ...