Months Of Protests Roil Iraq's Oil Capital Basra

As dusk falls in Iraq's port city of Basra and searing heat of day cools to under 100 degrees, the public square across the street from the city's burned provincial government building starts to fill with protesters.

Young Iraqis have gathered almost every night for more than three months to protest faltering public services and lack of jobs in the city in the heart of Iraq's rich southern oil fields.

In the beginning of the month, security forces trying to disperse the crowds opened fire, killing 12 civilians, according to health officials. But it wasn't until protesters stormed government buildings and set fire to the Iranian consulate, on Sept. 7, that Iraqi political leaders really took note.

"We have been here for months, no official has come to us or even a policeman came to us to ask us what we want," says Ahmed Hussein, 23, an unemployed father of two.

He says he is afraid he