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Jeanine Hennis, UN Special Representative for the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq, speaking at the UN (Screenshot from UN WebTV)

"The UN Special Representative for the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq slammed protesters for closing roads and disrupting oil on its way to ports, raising the ire of Iraqis who wonder why the UN cares more about oil and roads than people's lives. It came days after the UN Secretary General visited Turkey and appeared open to a plan by Turkey to settle Syrian refugees in an area that 200,000 have been forced to flee from due to fighting, leading to questions about the overall UN blindspot on suffering in the region.

Jeanine Hennis, a Dutch politician who serves as a diplomat and Special Representative of the Secretary General in Iraq tweeted on Wednesday that the protests in Iraq, where more than 200 protesters have been shot by security forces, are disrupting critical infrastructure. "Also of grave concern. Responsibility of all to protect public facilities. Threats, closure of roads to oil installations, ports causing billions in losses. Detrimental to Iraq's economy," she wrote. It was undermining fulfilling the protesters' legitimate demands.

'Losses to whom,' wondered the twitter account Mosul Eye, which is run by survivors of the ISIS occupation of Mosul. 'Most young Iraqis have no work. The schools are bare. The hospitals are completely unsupplied. No electricity. No assurance of clean water,' the writer responded. Another man named Anas asked if the billions will 'return back one innocent boy killed during those protest.' Dozens of other replies said that the UN should send a representative who respects the feelings of the country's citizens.
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Since early October protesters in Iraq have been shot down by security forces and pro-Iranian militias, called the Hashd al-Shaabi. These militias, some linked to the Badr Organization or Asaib Ahl al-Haq are officially part of the government's security forces but they also have their own leadership structure. Hadi al-Amiri, head of the Fatah Alliance and Badr, has claimed the protesters are supported by the US. Other leaders, such as Qais Khazali of Asaib Ahl al-Haq, have blamed the US and Israel for the protests. They have all claimed the protests are a form of sedition or 'fitna.'..."

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