Iraqis kept up anti-government
protests in Baghdad and the south on Saturday, dissatisfied with the premier's vow to quit and insisting on the overhaul of a system they say is corrupt and under the sway of foreign powers.
Protesters have hit the streets since early October in the largest grassroots movement
Iraq has seen in decades, sparked by fury at poor public services, lack of jobs and widespread government graft.
The toll spiked dramatically this week, when a crackdown by security forces left dozens dead in Baghdad, the Shiite shrine city of Najaf and the southern hotspot of Nasiriyah -- the birthplace of Prime Minister Adel Abdel Mahdi.