U.S. Military Official Warns Of Dangerous Escalation In Iran-Backed Attacks In Iraq

Rockets struck Baghdad's international airport compound Thursday, as the country tries to contain anti-government protests which have shaken the foundation of the Iraqi government. The attack appears to be the latest in what a senior U.S. military official described as a dangerously escalating campaign by Iran-backed militias.

The protests, which have swept cities from Baghdad to Basra over the last two-and-a-half months, have laid bare the Iraqi government's limited ability to control Iran-backed paramilitary forces that are now part of the country's official security forces. And they have raised fears that tensions among the largest of roughly 30 different Iran-backed groups will divert attention from fighting a resurgent ISIS.