Security is tight in the Iraqi capital today on the fourth anniversary of the arrival of U.S. forces in Baghdad during the invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein. A ban on vehicles is in force to prevent car bombings.
The city streets are reported almost deserted. No major trouble has been reported, but three people were reported killed in scattered acts of violence.
In the Shi'ite holy city of Al-Najaf, more than 100 kilometers south of the capital, tens of thousands of people are marching today to protest the presence of foreign troops.
Protesters chanted anti-American slogans during the Al-Najaf demonstration, and American flags were reportedly burned.
Radical Shi'ite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, whose loyalists have fought bloody campaigns against the U.S.-led occupation, had issued a statement urging Iraqis to attend the rally to voice opposition to the foreign presence.
Al-Sadr has recently called on his militiamen to target their violence at U.S. troops and redouble efforts to oust the foreign forces.
U.S. and Iraqi officials suggested in February that al-Sadr was in neighboring Iran.
Copyright (c) 2007. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.
Comment and add to the story without registration, but keep the comments meaningful please. Links are not accepted.
