Under the watchful eye of Egypt's security forces, the students, their heads covered with Palestinian scarves, marched around the university buildings shouting "With our blood, with our souls, we will defend Islam".

Some of the students wore green headbands inscribed with the word "martyr" in Arabic.

"This is the first time that we have organized a demonstration on behalf of both Iraq and Palestine," said Mohammed Abdullah, one of the organizers. "We say to the United States that we are ready to carry out suicide attacks."

The demonstrators distributed a leaflet saying "the martyrs of the future are ready" and demanding that the United States "cease its attacks against Arab and Islamic countries" or face the consequences.

Emergency laws, in force almost continuously since 1967 in Egypt, ban public protests. However, they are tolerated on university campuses and in mosque compounds.

Meanwhile, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak said Iraq must be run by Iraqis and that the region would not accept foreigners ruling the country.

"There is an Arab and international consensus that Iraq must be governed by Iraqis," he told state media.

"There is no Arab country or people that will accept Iraq being controlled by foreigners. Even European countries and the American media will not accept that."

Osama al-Baz, political adviser to Mubarak, said a temporary government set up by the US-led coalition in Iraq "should not last for more than a few weeks.

"It would be unacceptable for Egypt if this government continues for a long time and it would be costly for the United States," he said in remarks carried by the official MENA news agency.

Around 80 Iraqi exiles, opposition figures and tribal and religious leaders gathered in the Biblical city of Ur on Tuesday for the first in a series of US-arranged meetings to lay the groundwork for a democratic government in Baghdad.

SPACE.WIRE