The White House issued a statement asserting that it was “seriously concerned by continued attacks against protestors, civic activists, and the media, as well as restrictions on Internet access, in Iraq”, which since early October had been witnessing widespread protests. The statement went on to say that “Iraqis won’t stand by as the Iranian regime drains their resources and uses armed groups and political allies to stop them from peacefully expressing their views”. It further noted that “the U.S. joins the UN Assistance Mission to Iraq in calling on the Iraqi government to halt the violence against protesters and fulfill President Salih’s promise to pass electoral reform and hold early elections”.