Special report: Unrest in Baghdad

Iraq’s capital city has seen violent protests that left at least 21 dead after weeks of tensions. The spark was ignited after influential Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr announced on Twitter that he was quitting politics for good. This comes after his supporters were unable to form a government, despite winning the most seats in parliament last year. Al-Sadr’s announcement sent a shockwave through Baghdad and his loyalists stormed the so-called Green Zone, prompting al-Sadr to apologize to the nation for the violence and urged protesters to go home. Correspondent Ben Wedeman has the latest. For more on the unrest, and to explain the background, Sara speaks with Feisal Amin al-Istrabadi, who as Iraq’s deputy ambassador to the United Nations had firsthand experience of Iraqi politics and diplomacy.

Also on today's show: Craig Whitlock, author of The Afghanistan Papers, which examines how that country's war was sold -- and mis-sold -- to the public; Jason Reid, author of Rise of the Black Quarterback; Global Citizen CEO Hugh Evans and Grammy Award-winning musician Angelique Kidjo on the 10th anniversary of the Global Citizen Festival. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices