More than 200 protesters from the Iraqi National Congress and other political parties, women's groups and sheikhs in traditional dress gathered near the National Theatre.

As more demonstrators arrived, they said they would march for a mid-day rally outside a central Baghdad hotel.

"This is the national campaign against terrorism and sabotage," said Abo Thaer, 55, a member of the Iraqi Communist Party. His party members turned out with giant red flags bearing the hammer and sickle.

Participants said similar rallies would be held in other major Iraqi cities to mark international Human Rights Day.

A similar protest last Friday in the capital attracted about 1,000 Iraqis.

American-led occupying forces who toppled dictator Saddam Hussein in April are battling daily attacks by insurgents whom they regularly brand terrorists.

On Monday a suicide car bomber wounded 58 US soldiers at their base near the northern capital of Mosul while in Baghdad a bomb killed three worshippers at a Sunni mosque.

"Terrorism .... will delay the process of rebuilding," said Eklass Khudhir, 30, one of four women holding a banner from the Iraqi Women's Organization.

She said it was their first protest against terrorism.

Hussein al-Musaya, a former Iraqi exile who helped organize the rally, said numerous political parties had come together to state their opposition to terorism.

"It's also a message of thanks to the coalition force for liberating Iraq from the dictator," said Musaya, an official with the Liberal Republic Iraqi Party.

As he spoke another man chimed in. "We will not allow the fascists to come back," said Farook al-Shamari, 63.

"I don't belong to any party but I am against terrorism and fascism. We lived under the aggression of fascism for 40 years," he said.