THOUSANDS OF SHIITES PROTEST LONG TERM PRESENCE OF US IN IRAQ

This AP story has major implications for American troops in Iraq. If the split continues between the Shiites and the Iraqi government it could mean more and more US troops are going to be targeted in the weeks and months to come.

It boggles my mind that the mainstream media doesn't consider this a major development.

BAGHDAD (AP) Tens of thousands of Shiites have taken to the streets in Baghdad and other cities to protest plans for a long-term security agreement with the United States.
The rallies after Friday prayer services are the first to follow a call by anti-U.S. cleric Muqtada al-Sadr for weekly protests against the deal, which could lead to a long-term American troop presence.

The Associated Press(Updated Friday, May 30, 2008, 10:58 AM)
http://dwb.fresnobee.com/24hour/world/story/3892225p-13574542c.html

The outcry could sharply heighten tensions over the proposal. The deal is supposed to be finished by July and replace the current U.N. mandate overseeing U.S.-led troops in Iraq.
Demonstrators in Baghdad's Sadr City district chanted "No to America! No to the occupation!" A statement from al-Sadr's office has called the negotiations "a project of humiliation for the Iraqi people."