Iraqis protest in Baghdad as currency crisis continues

By QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA
Associated Press

BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraq’s currency has continued its slide and protesters are asking the government to take action to stop the crisis. About 150 protesters gathered on Friday in central Baghdad, the Iraqi capital, demanding authorities act. Measures taken by the United States in recent months to stamp out money laundering and the channeling of dollars to Iran and Syria from Iraq have severely restricted Iraq’s access to hard currency. The exchange rate for the Iraqi dinar has jumped to around 1,750 to the dollar at street exchanges in some parts of the country, compared to the official rate of 1,460 dinars to the dollar.