Angry Iraqis demand right to rule themselves

Muslim clerics led thousands of protesters through Baghdad's streets yesterday, telling US and British forces to withdraw or face violence, as Iraqi political groups demanded more say in their country's future.

The Iraqi National Congress, an umbrella group of parties that opposed Saddam Hussein mainly from exile, insisted that Iraqis rather than Americans should pick the interim Iraqi leadership that will help steer the country towards democracy.

The Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) in charge of Iraq had been expected to convene a national conference in July to select an interim Iraqi leadership. But US officials said at the weekend they would instead name a political council of 25 to 30 Iraqis after consulting a broad range of Iraqi opinion.

"This government will not be effective or useful for the Iraqi people," Entifadh Qanbar, a senior Iraqi National Congress official, told a news conference.

"Anything less than the Iraqis choosing their own interim government will not succeed. The Iraqis were oppressed by Saddam and want to rule themselves."

The Iraqi National Congress, headed by former banker Ahmad Chalabi, is one of seven major political groups briefed by US officials on Sunday on the new political plan.

The groups are due to give their response to US administrator Paul Bremer later this month, but many have already criticised the scrapping of the national conference.

A CPA spokesman said a wide array of Iraqis would be consulted "with a view to trying to establish the political council and the constitutional convention as soon as possible".

Most Iraqis welcomed the fall of Saddam but many are growing impatient with the pace of change. Angry crowds take to the streets almost daily to demand that foreign troops leave.

"We advise you to leave our country or you will make enemies out of us," said Shi'ite cleric Muaaed al-Khazraji in a speech through a loudhailer after a march by Muslim protesters to the headquarters of the US-led administration.