Davis said the United States remains committed to supporting the Iraqi prime minister. Hundreds were still pouring into the Green Zone as night fell.
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The Green Zone, a 10-square-kilometre district on the banks of the Tigris River which also houses many foreign embassies, has been off-limits to most Iraqis since the US -led invasion in 2003.
The source also noted that the statement issued following the meeting did not include much of the candid talks among them, especially that many leaders have several indications that the attack was organized between al-Sadr and al-Abadi so that the latter would appear like “the tough man who is supported by Sadrist movement to face strong rivals like Nouri al-Maliki”.
Earlier Saturday, al-Sadr accused Iraqi politicians of blocking political reforms aimed at combating corruption and waste.
The protesters had been restricted to using one Green Zone entrance where personal searches were conducted separately by Sadr’s militia and then military guards.
“We still view this as a demonstration”, said Sabah al-Numan, spokesman for the counterterrorism forces.
Shortly after the explosion, the Sunni extremist Islamic State group, which sees Shiite Muslims as apostates, claimed responsibility for the attack in an online statement.
Sadr has demanded that a government of technocrats replace the current leadership, but, entrenched political parties rejected Prime Minister Abadi’s attempts to replace their ministers.
“I can tell you Daesh is very happy that there are these demonstrations in Baghdad”, he said explaining that the instability in the Iraqi capital was pulling security forces away from the front-line fight against IS and from the perimeter security of the Iraqi capital.
Sunday, Abadi urged authorities to find and prosecute anyone who attacked security forces, members of Parliament and citizens or who destroyed public property, state-run Al-Iraqiya TV reported.
Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said Monday the USA still supports Mr.al-Abadi in his efforts to form an inclusive government and wage an coordinated military fight against the extremists.
In March, at least 1,119 people were killed and 1,561 wounded.
“They don’t really want reform”, said Hussein Ahmed Tariq, 19, who camped with protesters overnight.
Iraq’s political reform process was in limbo yesterday after protesters demanding a change of government reacted to weeks of stalling by storming parliament.
The Sadr movement, also known as the Sadr Trend, stormed the so-called Green Zone of the Iraqi capital of Baghdad where many government buildings and embassies are based.
Jabra al-Taie, a leftist activist in the square, said she expected the sit-in to last at least until Wednesday when parliament might convene next following a week-long pilgrimage.
The crowd was inflamed Saturday by a rousing speech by Sadr who denounced Iraq’s leaders as corrupt and called for a “major popular revolution”. He later declared a state of emergency.
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While Sadr’s protest by Monday had quieted down, the day-to-day violence continued in the capital, with a vehicle bomb exploding in Saydiyah, a district in southern Baghdad.
