Restaurants and representations of United States brands are being targeted by protests and vandalism in Iraq, due to Washington’s support for Israel in the war against the terrorist group Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
According to a report from the Associated Press (AP), earlier this week, masked men invaded a KFC fast food chain restaurant in Baghdad, where they broke windows, LED monitors, chairs, tables, kitchen utensils and other objects. They then fled the scene.
Similar incidents had occurred days earlier at Lee’s Famous Recipe Chicken and Chili House restaurants, other American fast food chains.
The AP also reported that in recent weeks protesters carrying Palestinian and Iraqi flags have staged protests against the United States and Israel outside the offices of PepsiCo and Procter & Gamble in Baghdad.
Two commanders of Iranian-backed Iraqi militias confirmed to the news agency that the recent attacks were carried out by members of their groups, with the aim of forcing American companies to leave the country.
US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said attacks on US franchises “harm Iraqi workers, Iraqi customers, sometimes Iraqi capital that is being deployed there.”
“So, these are attacks against the Iraqi people at the end of the day. We believe the Iraqi government must take appropriate measures to respond to these attacks and punish those responsible,” Miller said.
The Iraqi government said it was investigating the cases and looking for the attackers. A strong security scheme was also implemented to protect American brand restaurants after the attacks.
Iranian-backed Iraqi militias have carried out attacks against US military targets in Iraq and Syria since the start of the war in the Gaza Strip on October 7, due to US support for Israel.
The United States responded with attacks against bases of the Popular Mobilization, which brings together pro-Tehran paramilitary groups and which ceased the offensive against American military targets in February.
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