Shi’ites show strength as US warns Iran

HUGE crowds of ecstatic Shi’ites surged through the holy city of Kerbala yesterday, ending a pilgrimage that signalled to Washington they will be a powerful force in the new Iraq.

The US, apparently alarmed at the possibility of Iraq’s majority Shi’ites taking their lead from neighbouring Iran, warned Tehran against “interfering” with its co-religionists in Iraq.

“We’ve made clear to Iran that we would oppose any outside interference in Iraq’s road to democracy,” said White House spokesman Ari Fleischer. “Infiltration of agents to destabilise the Shi’ite population would clearly fall into that category.”