The chairman of the U.S. military's Joint Chiefs of Staff, recently said Iraq's leaders must move quickly if they want U.S. forces to stay beyond year-end. Thousands of Iraqis turned out in demonstrations in protest against his remarks.

They strongly demanded the U.S. administration totally withdraw its forces from Iraq till the end of this year, burning U.S. flags and chanting anti-American slogans.

Meanwhile, a protest was staged in Peshawar, Pakistan, on April 23 and 24 to denounce the air raid of the U.S. forces.