Iraqis rally against extending US troops presence
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Thousands of Iraqis rallied in the northern city of Mosul on Sunday in one of the biggest protests yet against any extension of the US military presence in Iraq. Protests have swelled in the city since April 9, the eighth anniversary of the day US forces toppled Saddam Hussein's statue in Baghdad, but remain peaceful.
On Sunday, around 5,000 people, including provincial council members and tribal leaders, rallied in the main square against extending the US troops presence beyond the year-end deadline. "We are trying to put pressure on the government to not even think about extending the presence of Americans (in Iraq), who brought havoc to our country," said Sheikh Barzan al-Badrani, chief of the Badrani tribe in Mosul. (Reuters)
