VIDEO: Presidential Palace In Iraq Breached; U.S. Embassy Workers Evacuated Immediately

A new report from the folks at the Daily Wire has revealed that protesters managed to breach the presidential palace in Iraq on Monday, which seems to be the result of an influential Shiite cleric’s announcement that he would be resigning from political service.

Video footage was released on Monday showing workers for the U.S. Embassy located in Baghdad being evacuated by military helicopters to ensure their safety. And thank goodness they took this course of action immediately so that we wouldn’t end up with a repeat of Benghazi. That’s the last thing we need to have happen on the geopolitical stage right now.

The US embassy employees have been evacuated from the #Green_Zone by the helicopter.#Baghdad, #Iraq pic.twitter.com/HLZerzb0ja

— خالد اسكيف (@khalediskef) August 29, 2022

There have been a lot of concerns about unrest as of late, with the U.S. Embassy in Iraq putting out a statement just last week urging folks in all parties to remain calm.

“We are closely monitoring reports of unrest in Baghdad today at the Supreme Judicial Council,” the embassy went on to say.

“We urge all parties to remain calm, abstain from violence, and resolve any political differences through a peaceful process guided by the Iraqi constitution. We also call for those demonstrating to respect the proceedings and property of Iraq’s governmental institutions which belong to and serve the Iraqi people,” it added.

“The nation’s government has been in controversy since October when cleric Muqtada al-Sadr’s party won the most seats in the election but failed to reach the number needed to form a majority government. The Shiite leader refused to negotiate with Iran-backed Shiites to create a consensus government,” the report said.

Supporters of Al-Sadr’s have staged a government sit-in over the last four weeks as a means to prevent rivals from being able to put together an opposing coalition government. Al Sadr’s party members have also made an announcement concerning their own resignations, with al-Sadir joining the group as a show of solidarity.

“The leaders’ statement was in response to the retirement of the Shia spiritual leader Ayatollah Kadhim al-Haeri, who counts many of al-Sadr’s supporters as followers. On Sunday, al-Haeri announced he was stepping down and called on his followers to support Iran’s Ayatollah Ali Khamenei instead of the Shia spiritual center in Najaf, Iraq,” the Daily Wire reported.

Presidential palace. #Iraq #Baghdad pic.twitter.com/wQ9BAt2sl9

— Tammuz Intel (@Tammuz_Intel) August 29, 2022

In response to this, around several hundred protesters got through the concrete barriers located outside of the palace gates and then stormed the building. The country’s military put out a curfew and has now called on protesters to leave the area immediately.

Some of these protesters have chosen to ignore the demands of the military and stay put right where they are. In fact, some video footage has surfaced showing some of the protesters taking a leisurely dip in the palace swimming pool.

مثلما حصل في سريلانكا

انصار التيار الصدري يسبحون في مسبح القصر الجمهوري pic.twitter.com/5zHPq636nF

— شاهو القرةداغي (@shahokurdy) August 29, 2022

Just outside of the palace, footage revealed a number of protesters fleeing from the sound of gunfire in the background. A report put together by the Jerusalem Post stated that the gunfire that can be heard in the video is believed to be from the Popular Mobilization Forces, which is backed by the nation’s government, using their firearms in an attempt to stop protesters.

Heavy gunfire can be heard in the background. #Iraq #Baghdad pic.twitter.com/mqAy7SyqnB

— Tammuz Intel (@Tammuz_Intel) August 29, 2022

Nouri al Maliki, the prime minister of Iraq, has already been moved to safety.

Again, the main takeaway here is that our people have been evacuated and another Benghazi-style situation has been averted. But you have to wonder. What kind of involvement is our government going to take in this situation and how badly is President Biden going to mess things up?