Deadly fighting shuts down city in Iraq

By THOMAS WAGNER and SAMEER N. YACOUB, Associated Press Writers 1 hour, 25 minutes ago

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Fierce fighting Wednesday between coalition forces and insurgents shut down the Iraqi city of Baqouba, which has been roiled by violence in recent days, killing scores of militants and civilians.

Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki arrived in Jordan for meetings with President Bush aimed at halting the escalating violence, but the session was put off until Thursday after public disclosure of U.S. doubts about his capacity to control sectarian warfare.

To protest the planned meeting between Bush and al-Maliki, lawmakers and Cabinet ministers loyal to anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr suspended participation in parliament and the government to protest the meeting.

The political bloc is a mainstay of support for al-Maliki.

A statement issued by the 30 lawmakers and six Cabinet ministers said their boycott was necessary because the meeting constituted a "provocation to the feelings of the Iraqi people and a violation of their constitutional rights." The statement did not explain that claim.

"This visit hijacked the will of the people during days when the sons of Iraq write their destiny with blood and not ink," said the statement, which referred to Bush as "cursed," the "world's biggest evil" and a "criminal." >>>cont

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Shake-up in Iraq's government

Loyalists to Muqtada al-Sadr suspend membership in Iraq's government. CNN's Arwa Damon reports (November 29)