Protesters set fire to Allawi's party offices

by reposts

Wed, Aug 11, 2004 7:04AM

Thousands of Iraqis in the southern city of Nassiriya calling for the fall of Prime Minister Iyad Allawi, have set fire to the local office of his political party.

The demonstrators are enraged by military action against Shiite rebels in the sacred city of Najaf.

They have screamed: "Down, down Allawi" and "Allawi you coward, you American agent".

They have held up posters of Moqtada al-Sadr, the firebrand Shiite cleric whose militiamen have been challenging US and Iraqi forces in Najaf for seven straight days.

Nassiriya is one of the seven cities where the Shiite uprising has erupted in the past week - the biggest challenge to Mr Allawi's interim Government since it took over from the US occupation authority in late June.

The bloodiest fighting is taking place in Najaf, where US helicopter gunships and warplanes have pounded rebel positions.

Any harm to holy sites in the city would enrage millions of Shiites in Iraq and other countries.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200408/s1174444.htm

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