War demo sends in the Clowns.

Byline: By JOHN McEACHRAN

LOOKS like this lot could be reported to the Clown Office after they poked fun at the police yesterday.

The members of the Clandestine Insurgent Rebel Clown Army sneaked up on the officers as they guarded the US Consulate in Edinburgh yesterday.

The clowns, in painted faces and colourful wigs, were part of an almost 1000-strong demonstration calling for the troops to leave Iraq.

Organised by the Stop The War Coalition, the protesters brought Princes Street to a halt before demonstrating outside the Consulate.

Among the speakers was Rose Gentle, whose fusilier son Gordon was killed by a roadside bomb in Basra last year. She said she was disgusted the Prime Minister had not yet agreed to meet her following her son's death in July 2004.

She added: "Tony Blair is frightened of the military families because I don't think he can answer the questions they want answered Police said the protest wentpeacefully. Meanwhile, UN chief Kofi Annan's visit to Baghdad yesterday was marred by a car bomb, which killed eight and injured 21 in a Shiite neighbourhood. It was Annan's first trip to Iraq since the 2003 US-led invasion.

Despite the violence, Iraq president Jalal Talabani last night said British troops could leave Iraq next year.

In an interview to be broadcast on Jonathan Dimbleby's ITV programme today, he said: "We don't want British forces forever in Iraq.

"At the end of 2006 Iraqi troops will be ready to replace British forces in the south.

"There is not one Iraqi who wants the troops to remain in the country forever

CAPTION(S):

Protest: The Clown Army in Edinburgh yesterday; Visit: Annan yesterday