Maliki Hails Unity of Iraqis

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From 'AFP': Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki hailed success in national reconciliation on Thursday as he joined millions of Shiite Muslims at a holy ceremony in the shrine city of Karbala. "The terrorists wanted to tear apart Iraq... destroy its unity. They wanted sectarian strife and a civil war but with your hands you banished the spectre of civil war," Maliki said. "Through the awareness of the people we succeeded on the ground. Thank God, national reconciliation among Iraqis has succeeded. We have succeeded in eliminating sectarianism," Maliki said.

He was speaking to a vast crowd of pilgrims gathered at the Imam Hussein shrine -- one of the most sacred for Shiites -- where the faithful beat their chests and chanted in trance-like unison for Arbaeen. Officials said a record 10 million people converged on the city for the ceremony which marks the anniversary of the 40th day after the seventh century slaying in Karbala of the revered Imam Hussein. Security was tight in an effort to thwart any attacks by Sunni insurgents who have often targeted Shiite festivals in the violence that has plagued Iraq since the downfall of Saddam Hussein in 2003.

Police chief Major General Raed Shakir Jawdat said around 10 million devotees had visited the city for Arbaeen, which Karbala governor Akhil al-Khazali said was a record turnout. Most Shiite rituals in Karbala and Najaf, another important Shiite shrine city, were all but banned under Saddam but have been held freely since the fall of the regime. This year, around 50,000 Iraqi policemen and soldiers were on guard in and around Karbala to thwart any attacks. "The security plan put in place has worked the way we expected," said Jawdat.