Thousands of Iraqis have rallied in the capital Baghdad and the southern cities of Najaf and Basra to condemn an unannounced visit by US Vice President Joe Biden

Thousands of Iraqis have rallied in the capital Baghdad and the southern cities of Najaf and Basra to condemn an unannounced visit by US Vice President Joe Biden.

Biden arrived in Baghdad on Tuesday and has held meetings with top Iraqi officials, including Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.

The Iraqis held rallies against the visit on Wednesday. Chanting "Biden get out of Iraq" and 'No to America,' they described the trip as a last-ditch effort by Washington to convince Iraqi leaders to keep a number of US troops in the country beyond a previously-agreed 2011 deadline.

The demonstrators in Sadr City, east of Baghdad, accused Biden of seeking to create division among the political ranks in the country. They called for an immediate US withdrawal and an end to Washington's meddling in the country.

Iraqi lawmakers, clerics, and city councilors also attended the protest rally.