Will Friday's Iraqi protests light the fires?

The Christian Science Monitor's Jane Arraf reports today from Baghdad that Iraqi security forces are using media intimidation and "warnings of violence" in an apparent attempt to defuse a major demonstration planned for Friday.

Organizers hope to draw 1 million people to Baghdad to demand a crackdown on "corruption, better government services and an end to repression," according to Arraf's article.

Iraqi soldiers raided the offices of the Iraqi Journalistic Freedoms Observatory in central Baghdad overnight, smashing locks and removing laptops, other computer equipment, cameras and paper files.

While Tuesday's demonstrations in the Kurdish city of Sulaimaniya remained relatively peaceful, Iraqi Gen. Qussim al-Atta warned Tuesday evening of the possibility of "terrorist plans to target the (Baghdad) demonstrators in different ways -- explosive vests, car bombs, snipers and pistols with silencers."

Will Friday see the cities of Iraq burn?