Protesters Smash Windows, Set Fire To U.S. Embassy Compound In Baghdad

Protesters used rocks to smash armored windows and set fire to the walls of the U.S. Embassy compound in Baghdad on December 31 in anger over recent U.S. air strikes in Iraq and Syria. Security forces fired stun grenades and tear gas to try to disperse thousands of people gathered at the compound. The December 29 air strikes that prompted the violent protest targeted the Iran-backed Kataib Hizballah militia.