An Iraqi militia that carried out some of the most prominent attacks on foreigners during the Iraq war on Thursday threatened US interests in the country allegedly over a film that has triggered protests in Libya, Egypt and Yemen.

"The offence caused to the messenger (Prophet Mohammad) will put all American interests in danger and we will not forgive them for that," said Qais al-Khazali, leader of the Asaib al-Haq militia.

The US ambassador to Libya and three other staff were killed overnight on Tuesday in an attack on the US consulate in Benghazi over the film.

Protests against the film (which has been public for over six months and has been used by Ayman al Zawahiri to enflame Islamists on the anniversary of September 11th) erupted in Baghdad on Thursday and in the city of Basra, 260 miles southeast of the capital. Hundreds of followers of anti-US Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr took to the streets calling on the Iraqi government to close the US embassy.

Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki denounced the film as "insulting" and "racist" but called on Muslims not to react with violence.

In Baghdad, hundreds of protesters gathered in Sadr's stronghold of Sadr City, holding up posters of Sadr, burning US flags and chanting, "Death to America".

"How long will we stay in this coma where there is no real sanction?" Sheikh Riyadh al-Waeli, a Sadr aid, told protesters. "This demonstration is not enough unless there is a real sanction."

The crowd in Basra also numbered in the hundreds and both Sunni and Shi'ite clerics participated in the demonstration, which was organized by Sadr's office.

"We have to fire the US ambassador because these things are carried out under US supervision and are aimed at offending Islam and Muslims," protester Yaarab al-Mohammadawi told Reuters.

A smaller protest also took place in the city of Najaf, 100 miles south of Baghdad.

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Editor's Note: Aside from the fact that the film is not the real catalyst for this coordinated event; an event taking place across the Middle East, it would be incredulous to accept that the response to being "offended" about anything is to burn down foreign embassies and kill their ambassadors. Muslims have a lot to answer for in this event, lest they all be painted as totalitarian, intolerant, oppressive and ideologically spoiled.


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