IRAQ'S TRAGIC SATIRISTS

IRAQ street satirists peddle cultural change  :

On a strip of pavement in the southern Iraqi city of Kut, a gaggle of amateur comedians pulls in the crowds every Friday - drawing chuckles, smiles and knowing nods.

With a rich repertoire of skits, Khaled al-Atbi and his peers poke fun at politicians more interested in lining their pockets and rebuilding a country devastated by decades of war.

"Theatre is a message," said the 42-year-old al-Atbi, director and actor in the  seven-strong troupe.

"With our satire, we condemn............. CORRUPTION, lack of public services and tribal activities," he said, citing those factors as central to discontent in Iraq.

Since the US-led ouster of dictator Saddam Hussein in 2003, Iraq has been plagued by graft and  sectarian fighting, culminating in the Islamic State group seizing around a third of its territory in 2014.

As Iraq seeks to move beyond the brutal war that last year finally defeated the jihadists, al-Atbi is determined to embarrass officials who pocked  bribes and hand out plum civil service jobs to relatives.

The father-of-two hopes his little troupe can help trigger a culture change even as he juggles his satirical ventures with a full-time  job as a policeman.

Rubbish Piles Vanish

In one sketch, al-Atbi plays a diligent official obliged to work with incompetent but politically connected colleagues.

The scene did not require much in terms of props - just a table and a few chairs, which were quickly  encircled by rapt onlookers.

"Our audience is very receptive because they know what we are enacting exists in reality," said al-Atbi.

The sad honor and serving of this  advance research on Corruption in Iraq, continues.