Threat of protests, violent escalation stirs fears in Iraq

By SAMYA KULLAB and QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA
Associated Press

BAGHDAD (AP) — Thousands of Shiites gathered in Baghdad for a counter-rally called by Iran-backed groups against their rival, an influential cleric whose followers are staging a sit-in inside the Iraqi parliament, have left the area. It wasn’t immediately clear if the withdrawal Monday by supporters of the Coordination Framework, an alliance lead by Shiite parties close to Iran, was a definite de-escalation in their power struggle with cleric Muqtada al-Sadr’s loyalists. Al-Sadr’s followers have been camped out inside the parliament since thousands overran the building on Saturday, demanding reforms and denouncing the Iran-backed alliance. Dueling protests between Iraq’s two major Shiite factions would have raises the prospect of escalating tensions and possible street violence.