Baghdad: Thousands of Iraqis demonstrated against the US occupation of Iraq on
Friday, the second Muslim day of prayer since the regime's collapse.
In the centre of the city, the Ministry of Information was in flames, apparently
ignited by looters. Soldiers surrounded the 10-story building as looters tried to
carry away a few last prizes.
At morning prayers, Sheik Ahmed al-Kubeisy rejected the troops' "occupation" and
said American soldiers should leave the country soon, before Iraqis expel them, Arab
news channel Al-Jazeera reported.
His calls for US forces to leave Iraq drew cheers and chants of "Allahu Akbar" (God
is great) from worshippers gathered in the Abu Haneefa al-Nu'man Mosque in the
Azameyah neighbourhood in Baghdad.
Tens of thousands of Iraqis protested the US military presence after the prayers,
and called for solidarity between Iraq's Sunni and Shiite Muslims.
Also on April 18, Opposition leader Ahmad Chalabi and his Iraqi National Congress
followers set up makeshift headquarters at two neighbouring social clubs in the
affluent al-Mansour district, guarded by US armoured vehicles and elements of the
new Free Iraqi forces. Saddam Hussein's sons, Uday and Qusay, once belonged to the
clubs.
