International

Baghdad Under Curfew; Maliki Faces Boycott

Published November 25, 2006 at 5:00 AM PST

This story was published more than 18 years ago.

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Shiite Iraqis carry mock coffins with the slogan "Unity of Iraq" in Arabic during a memorial rally in the holy city of Najaf. Baghdad remains under tight curfew for the second day following an explosion of violence that forced President Jalal Talabani to postpone his much-anticipated visit to Tehran.

Baghdad remains under curfew after a bloody week in which hundreds were killed and the capital slipped closer and closer to all-out civil war.

The curfew seemed to be holding Saturday in Sadr City and other hotspots, as the Iraq government sought ways to control the violence and restore calm.

Roadblocks and an increased police presence were signs of a renewed commitment to the curfew; on Friday, the violence raged amid nearly no evidence of a curfew.

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With President Bush scheduled to meet with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki next week, allies of Moqtada al-Sadr are threatening to boycott the government if the meeting in Jordan proceeds as planned. Sadr's coalition is a main backer of Maliki.