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Baghdad to impose vehicle curfew | |
(about 4 hours later) | |
A one-day vehicle curfew will be imposed over Baghdad on Wednesday, which marks five years since the city was captured by American forces. | |
Cars and motorcycles will be banned from the capital's streets between 0500 and midnight (0200 to 2100 GMT), the Iraqi government said. | |
Shia cleric Moqtada Sadr earlier called off plans for a mass rally against the US presence in Iraq on the anniversary. | |
A statement published online said he feared attacks on those taking part. | A statement published online said he feared attacks on those taking part. |
Wednesday marks the fifth anniversary of the symbolic moment when US troops pulled down a large statue of late Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein in central Baghdad. | |
'Spare their blood' | |
A one-million-strong protest had been planned to mark the date, Mr Sadr said. | |
He also threatened to suspend a truce - credited with helping curb violence levels in Iraq since last year - by his powerful Mehdi Army militia. | |
"If necessary the ceasefire will be lifted in order to implement our aims, ideology, religion, principles, nationhood," the statement said. | |
On Monday, Iraq's prime minister threatened to exclude the radical Shia cleric's movement from politics unless it disbanded the Mehdi Army. | |
In recent weeks, Mr Sadr's followers have clashed with Iraqi government troops and US forces in southern Iraq and Baghdad, as the government tried to crack down on militias. | |
"I call those beloved Iraqi people who wish to demonstrate against the occupation to postpone their march, out of my fear for them and my concern to spare their blood," Mr Sadr said about the proposed demonstration. | "I call those beloved Iraqi people who wish to demonstrate against the occupation to postpone their march, out of my fear for them and my concern to spare their blood," Mr Sadr said about the proposed demonstration. |
His statement also called for a clear timetable for US forces to leave Iraq. |