[Marxism] Tens of thousands in Basra call for elections, shout "No to America!"

["Fred Feldman" <ffeldman@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Tens of Thousands of Iraqis Call for Early Elections
 By MATTHEW ROSENBERG,
 AP Updated: 10:58 AM EST

BASRA, Iraq (Jan. 15) -- Tens of thousands of Shiite Muslims shouting
"No to America!" marched Thursday through this southern city to back
their spiritual leader's call for early elections, a stand that could
stymie a U.S. blueprint for transferring power to a new Iraqi
administration.

[AP: Iraqis carry posters of Shiite leaders during the protest in
Basra.]

The peaceful demonstration in Basra, Iraq's second-largest city,
followed a string of violent incidents across the country, including a
car bombing in Baqouba and a series of clashes between U.S. troops and
insurgents that left 20 people dead.

An estimated 20,000-30,000 Shiite Muslims turned out to support Grand
Ayatollah Ali al-Husseini al-Sistani's demand that an interim
legislature be elected directly and not chosen in provincial caucuses,
as called for under the American plan.

The massive demonstration for the most powerful cleric of Iraq's
majority Shiites showed that the United States cannot afford to take
al-Sistani's criticism of the transfer plans lightly.

Smaller demonstrations also took place Thursday in Baghdad, Ramadi and
Mosul, of a few hundred people each, cautioning against aspects of the
U.S. plan for Iraq's future, which they fear will divide the country.

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