IRAQ: Baghdad streets empty on second day of indefinite curfew

Baghdad woke up to another day of curfew on Saturday (November 25) with most vehicles banned from the city's streets. The measure was imposed after a series of bomb attacks on the Shi'ite district of Sadr City that killed 202 people and brought apparent reprisal attacks in a Sunni enclave on Friday which saw mosques and homes being set alight. On Friday (November 24) night the Iraqi Defence Ministry extended the curfew in a move broadly supported by pedestrians on Saturday morning. "The curfew is for everyone's benefit because we can expect retaliation after the bombing in Sadr City and this may prevent that - some of the families of victims might not be able to control their anger or those who want to cause trouble between both Sunni and Shi'ites - so the curfew will stop some of the extremists - or at least make moving around more difficult for them," said Amir Saad, a Baghdad resident. Shops and businesses have also taken the curfew as a cue to stay closed. "The curfew came at an appropriate time because Sadr City was the subject of an attack that was condemned around the world. It was an extraordinary attack on innocent victims. So the curfew is appropriate right now because the situation is precarious," said Ahmed Nasser, another local man. Other than the security and emergency services, only vehicles carrying coffins will be allowed on the roads.

ITN Source | November 25, 2006

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