HOLY NAJAF, Iraq: Thousands of Iraqis staged big protests against Jordan after hearing reports that relatives of a Jordanian suicide bomber who committed Hilla attack in which at least 132 Iraqis were martyred and nearly 200 injured celebrated to honor him, and separately the man responsible for a 2003 bombing at Imam Ali (p) shrine that left Ayatullah Baqer Al-Hakim and more than 100 others martyred has been arrested.

Holy Najaf Police Chief Ghalib al-Jazairi said Monday his officers arrested Ramzi Hashim, a Mosul resident, in connection with the August 2003 bombing at the Imam Ali (p) shrine.

Al-Jazairi said Hashim was found in a Najaf hotel and was planning another major attack in the holy city, located about 100 miles (160 km) south of Baghdad. No further details of the arrest were released.

The car bomb outside the holy shrine martyred the head of the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq Ayatullah Sayyed Muhammad Baqer Al-Hakim, son of the grand Marjay of Shia World Grand Ayatullah Sayyed Mohsin Al-Hakim.

After breaking into the Jordanian embassy in the capital Baghdad on Monday and tearing down the flag, protesters called on all foreign Arabs to leave the country and denounced Jordan's King Abdullah.

Huge demonstrations were held in the spiritual center of Shia World - holy city of Najaf -, which houses the holy shrine of master of believers Al-Imam Ali bin Abi Talib (p). The protesters carrying anti-Jordan banners and placards waved posters mocking King Abdullah. They burned the Jordanian flag.

Similar protests were held in Baghdad and holy city of Karbala, home to the holy mausoleums of Al-Imam Al-Hussein (p) and Al-Abbas (p), on Sunday as well.

Anti-Jordanian sentiment has been spreading since Iraqis read newspaper reports that Jordan's Raed Mansour Al-Banna blew himself up beside people lining up for jobs in Hilla last month in the single bloodiest attack in postwar Iraq.

Al Qaeda's wing in Iraq, led by Jordanian terrorist Abu Musab Az-Zarqawi, claimed responsibility for the blast.

In a statement, the Iraqi government said it strongly condemns “the expressions of joy” exhibited by the family of Banna, who it described as a terrorist.

“Prime Minister Iyad Allawi spoke to the prime minister of Jordan personally today and asked him for a clear answer regarding the family's activities as the reports are affecting relations between the Iraqi and Jordanian people,” it said.

Iraqi government officials say terrorists from countries such as Jordan, Syria and Saudi Arabia are carrying out suicide bombings in a bid to stoke sectarian tensions and spark a civil war.

In Amman, the official Petra news agency quoted Prime Minister Faisal Al-Fayez as saying Jordan stands by the Iraqi people in their struggle against terrorism targeting innocent civilians.

Petra said Jordanian authorities have arrested the journalist who wrote that a Jordanian national carried out the suicide bombing in Hilla.       

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