Shiites converge on Baghdad square to protest U.S.-Iraq pact

The demonstrators waved Iraqi flags and green Shiite banners, which also were strung over nearby buildings. They chanted "No, no to the American agreement" and "No, no to the agreement of humiliation."

Iraq's parliament has pushed forward with debate on the deal that would keep U.S. forces in Iraq for another three years and a vote is expected on Monday. But the noisy opposition by the Sadrists suggests that even if approved, the deal could remain divisive in a country struggling for reconciliation.

The protest was being held at Firdous Square, where U.S. Marines tore down a statue of Saddam Hussein in one of the iconic images of the U.S.-led invasion in 2003.

Organizers placed an effigy of U.S. President George W. Bush holding a sign that said "the security agreement ... shame and humiliation" on the pedestal near a sculpture that replaced the Saddam statue.

Many protesters carried prayer rugs, pieces of cardboard or newspapers in preparation for the mass prayer as they arrived at the square in groups of about 100 people either on foot or by bus.

Security was tight, with the area sealed off to unofficial traffic and heavily guarded by Iraqi security forces and Humvees.

Opponents view the security deal as a surrender to U.S. interests despite attempts by Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, a Shiite, to defend it.

The Cabinet has approved the agreement, meaning it stands a good chance of passage in the 275-seat parliament where the government's parties dominate. But for al-Maliki's Dawa party and the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council, its senior government partner, the margin of support is almost as important as the victory itself. A narrow vote for approval will cast doubt on the legitimacy of the new terms governing the U.S. troop presence.

Al-Sadr's followers and other legislators opposed to the pact also try to could use the narrow vote to turn their anti-American message into a defining issue in provincial elections on Jan. 31 and general elections late in 2009.

If the agreement passes the legislature, it will go to the president and his two deputies for ratification. Each one has veto power.

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