Iraq protesters 'crossed a line'

Paul Bremer said attacks would "not be tolerated"

US and Iraqi authorities in Baghdad have condemned radical Shias involved in clashes with coalition forces in Najaf on Sunday, in which many died.

Paul Bremer, the US administrator in Iraq, said Iraqis had the right to freedom of expression, and must express their views "peacefully".

"This morning, a group of people in Najaf have crossed the line and they have moved to violence," he said.

"This will not be tolerated by the coalition. This will not be tolerated by the Iraqi people, and this will not be tolerated by the Iraqi security forces."

These arrogant powers say thank you for your peaceful protests and then fire on the demonstrators Spokesman for Moqtada Sadr

Massud Barzani, the rotating president of Iraq's interim Governing Council, said: "The Iraqis have the right to express their opinions in peaceful means, and this is democracy, but resorting to violence is rejected, all the Iraqi people reject that."

"Any act that leads to violence and losses among civilians and coalition (personnel) is an act that we sternly condemn, and we hope that everybody would resort to peaceful and democratic means," he said.

In Baghdad, a spokesman for Moqtada Sadr, the radical cleric whose supporters demonstrated in Najaf, said he had called for an end to protests, asking his supporters instead to gather at his offices or in mosques.

"He has put out a statement calling to stop the protests, because they will get you nowhere," Abd al-Hadi al-Daraji said.

"These arrogant powers say thank you for your peaceful protests and then fire on the demonstrators."

'No threat' from Iraq

The unrest came as Mr Bremer announced the formation of an Iraqi defence ministry and intelligence service.

He said the moves meant Iraq's defences would be under tight civilian control, and would "defend the country against terrorists and insurgents".

Iraq's interim trade minister Ali Allawi will become the country's first post-war defence minister, while Mohammad Abdullah Mohammad al-Shehwani, a former opponent of the Saddam Hussein regime, was named as intelligence chief.

Mr Allawi pledged that Iraqi forces would not be used as a means to "threaten and blackmail" neighbouring states, in a reference to Saddam's wars against Iran and Kuwait.