Tens of thousands of Shi'ites protest US security agreement

One of those who surrendered early yesterday allegedly ordered attacks on US troops, directed the kidnapping of Iraqis, and helped smuggle Iranian weapons into Iraq, the US military said in a statement.

The other tried to escape by wading through an irrigation canal before turning himself over to US soldiers.

The names of the suspects were not released, but both were members of Iranian-backed "special groups," the US command said. The term is used by the American military to describe Shi'ite fighters who have defied Sadr's cease-fire order that ended seven weeks of fighting in Baghdad last month.

Iran denies arming the extremists, and it is unclear whether significant numbers of Sadr's Mahdi Army militia are really beyond his control.

US and Iraqi troops have been trying to block the movement of Iranian weapons into Iraq through a series of raids in mostly Shi'ite areas south of Baghdad.

Allegations of Iranian links to Shi'ite militants and the proposed US-Iraqi security agreement are expected to figure prominently in Maliki's talks, which were to begin today. No timetable for the visit has been released because of security concerns.

The deal, which the Iraqis and Americans hope to finish by midsummer, would establish a long-term security relationship between Iraq and the United States. The two sides are also negotiating a parallel agreement to provide a legal basis for keeping US troops in Iraq after the UN mandate expires at the end of the year.

Supporters believe the deal would guarantee US support as Iraq seeks to cement the security gains of the past year.

It would also help assure Iraq's Arab neighbors, notably Saudi Arabia, that Iraq's Shi'ite-led government would not become an Iranian satellite.

US officials have released no details about the negotiations, which began in March.

But leaks by Iraqi authorities have triggered a storm of protest, with critics complaining that the terms would solidify American military, economic, and political domination of the country for decades.