The New Nation - Internet Edition

AP, Baghdad

Hundreds of followers of a radical Shiite cleric in Iraq have taken to the streets to protest a proposed security agreement between Iraq and the United States.

The supporters of cleric Muqtada al-Sadr say the proposed deal would lead to a permanent U.S. occupation of Iraq.

They held their protest Friday in the southern city of Kufa and shouted slogans such as: "No to America."

Such demonstrations have become a weekly event, usually following prayers held in local mosques on Fridays.

Al-Sadr's militia, the Mahdi Army, recently suffered a setback when the U.S.-backed Iraqi army won control of the Baghdad district of Sadr City. The militia had dominated the area since 2003.