Yemenis protest U.S.-led war on Iraq

Yemenis protest U.S.-led war on Iraq
By Adnan Abdullah

SANA'A, March 27 - Tens of thousands of angry Yemenis marched through the streets of the Yemeni capital Sana'a and gathered at the al-Tahreer square on Thursday demanding an immediate end to the U.S.-led war against Iraq and praising "Iraqi struggle".

The protesters carried banners read "America is a terrorist state" and "U. S. is the enemy of Islam" and "Jihad, Jihad from Sana'a to Baghdad."

Surrounded by Iraqi and Yemeni flags as well as picture of Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein , the protesters burnt American, British, and Israeli flags.

Hundreds of police officers tightened security measures in streets leading to the U.S.embassy.

Among the key speakers to the crowd was Sheikh Abdul-Majid al-Zindani, a cleric and a leading member of the Islamic opposition Islah party, the largest opposition party.

In his speech, al-Zindani said jihad has become a duty on all Muslim must perform it to face the crime of the war which U.S. is launching against Iraq.

After one day of U.S. invasion of Iraq, Sana'a witnessed shootout between police and anti-war demonstrators who tried to march on the U.S. Embassy, leaving an 11-year-old boy and three other Yemenis.

Recently, the Yemeni Scholars Association has released an announcement calling for an end to the "cruel embargo on Iraq and prohibited presenting any support to the aggressive forces".

ENDS

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