US condemns attack in Swedish Embassy in Baghdad, criticizes Iraq security

Protesters clash with security forces members as they gather near the Swedish embassy in Baghdad hours after the embassy was stormed and set on fire ahead of an expected Koran burning in Stockholm, in Baghdad, Iraq, July 20, 2023. REUTERS/Ahmed Saad

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States on Thursday strongly condemned the attack on the Swedish Embassy in Baghdad over a planned Koran burning in Stockholm and criticized Iraq's security forces for not preventing protesters from breaching the diplomatic post.

"Freedom of peaceful assembly is an essential hallmark of democracy, but what occurred last night was an unlawful act of violence," State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said.