Angry Iraqis demand right to rule themselves

The Iraqi National Congress, an umbrella group of parties that opposed Saddam Hussein mainly from exile, insisted that Iraqis rather than Americans should pick the interim Iraqi leadership that will help steer the country toward democracy.

The Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) in charge of Iraq had been expected to convene a national conference in July to select an interim Iraqi leadership. But US officials said during the weekend they would instead name a political council of 25 to 30 Iraqis after consulting a broad range of Iraqi opinion.

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"This government will not be effective or useful for the Iraqi people," Entifadh Qanbar, a senior Iraqi National Congress official, told a news conference.

"Anything less than the Iraqis choosing their own interim government will not succeed. The Iraqis were oppressed by Saddam and want to rule themselves."

A CPA spokesman said a wide array of Iraqis would be consulted "with a view to trying to establish the political council and the constitutional convention as soon as possible."

Many Iraqis who welcomed the fall of Saddam are growing impatient with the pace of change. Angry crowds take to the streets almost daily to demand that foreign troops leave.

"We advise you to leave our country or you will make enemies out of us," said Shi'ite cleric Muaaed al-Khazraji in a speech after a march by Muslim protesters to the headquarters of the US-led administration.

"Please go home and we will be very grateful because you got rid of Saddam."

The protesters, both Shi'ite and Sunni, demanded an end to body searches of Iraqi women at security checkpoints, and called for the establishment of a government run by Iraqis.