In Iraq, masked soldiers opened fire with live ammunition early Tuesday on a crowd of anti-government protesters in the Shiite holy city of Karbala, killing 18 people and wounding more than 860. The latest assault brought the death toll of Iraqis killed since protests erupted in early October to over 220. In Baghdad, thousands defied an overnight curfew in Tahrir Square to protest government corruption and widespread unemployment. Iraqi security forces fired tear gas at students who joined the demonstrations.
Protester: “Today, youth are not asking for jobs or for services. The young men want a radical and real change of power. They’ve been ruling us for 16 years, but they have offered nothing. We are fed up with them.”
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