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. 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. Full Story
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