Basra Sadrists protest Bush visit to Iraq

BASRA / IraqiNews.com: Hundreds of Sadrists, or Iraqis loyal to Shiite leader Muqtada al-Sadr, staged a demonstration protesting a visit paid by U.S. President George W. Bush to Iraq on Sunday, an official source from Sadr’s office in Basra said. “A symbolic demonstration was staged on the spur of the moment to protest Bush’s visit to Iraq,” the source, who asked not to be named, told IraqiNews.com, adding “the U.S. president’s visit was illegitimate because he did not take the Iraqi government’s permission first. “The visit represents violation of Iraq’s sovereignty and the agreement signed a few days ago,” he noted. The oil-rich port city of Basra lies 590 km south of the Iraqi capital Baghdad. AmR (P)/SR 1