Iraqi Extremists Try to Harness Opposition Rage Iraqi insurgents are trying to capitalize on the rage of anti-government protesters and the instability caused by rising civil unrest, complicating the government's efforts to stamp out a resurgent al-Qaida and other insurgent groups. Organizers of the protests attracting minority Iraqi Sunnis insist they have no links to terrorist groups. Yet Iraqi and U.S. officials have expressed concern that violent extremists could benefit from the demonstrators' feelings of alienation and hostility toward the Shiite-led Iraqi government. And tensions are rising. At least five protesters were killed and more than 20 were wounded on Friday when soldiers opened fire at stone-hurling demonstrators near Fallujah. They were the first deaths at opposition rallies that have been raging around the country for more than a month. Tens of thousands of protesters turned out in the former al-Qaida stronghold in western Iraq - some waving black banners emblazoned with the Muslim confession of faith. Two soldiers were later killed in an apparent retaliatory attack for the protesters' deaths. The vast desert territory on Syria's doorstep was the birthplace of the Sunni insurgency that erupted after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion, and where Iraqi officials believe al-Qaida's Iraq arm is regrouping. Protesters also have staged demonstrations in other areas with large concentrations of Sunni Arabs who feel discriminated against by the government. Their list of demands includes calls for the release of detainees and an end to policies they believe unfairly target their sect. For now, the American Embassy said it has no indication that al-Qaida is gaining support from the demonstrations, but the fear remains, particularly as the security situation deteriorates in neighboring Syria. An embassy official said the U.S. had expressed concern that the protesters' so far peaceful expression of their concerns must not be usurped by extremists trying to provoke violence. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly about the matter. Protest organizers and the politicians who support them are eager to distance themselves from extremist rhetoric. Sunni lawmaker Ahmed al-Alawani recently urged Iraq Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to meet demonstrators' demands so al-Qaida and other extremists could not exploit their frustration. That was a sentiment echoed by protest organizer and spokesman Saeed Humaim in Ramadi, the Anbar provincial capital that has been the focus of daily sit-ins and frequent mass rallies. He said protesters have no intention to take up arms, but will defend themselves if attacked by government security forces. Still, many Iraqi Sunnis have little doubt that the protests strengthen militant groups. "I don't think the al-Qaida people would miss an opportunity to move freely when the government and security forces are busy handling these spreading protests," said Ayad Salman, 42, who owns a shoe store in northern Baghdad. The country is slipping toward a new round of civil war, or at least some groups are planning and pushing for this. The rallies broke out just over a month ago in Iraq's western Sunni heartland of Anbar following the arrest of guards assigned to the Iraqi Finance Minister Rafia al-Issawi, a Sunni who hails from the province. In an interview aired late Thursday, al-Maliki suggested that al-Qaida and members of Saddam Hussein's ousted regime have a hand in the demonstrations.