Dozens of Shiite Muslims staged an angry protest against the Pentagon-backed Iraqi opposition leader, Ahmed Chalabi, who has widely tipped to become the country's next leader.
Such anger was also visible in the northern city of Mosul, when a firefight broke out as the newly-appointed governor was making a speech which listeners deemed was too pro-US, witnesses said.
A doctor at the city hospital, Ayad al-Ramadhani, said 12 people had been killed and 60 wounded in the shooting.
Life in Baghdad remained far from normal six days after US troops entered. Most shops remained closed and many parts of the city still lacked water or electricity.
US forces tried for the first time to prevent the media from covering anti-US protests outside the hotel housing a US operations base in central Baghdad.
As the Iraqi protest grew more vocal, a marine corporal held an impromptu briefing for a few reporters on the progress made in restoring security and essential services.
Corporal John Hoellwarth said US forces planned to boost joint police patrols, bring more hospitals back into service and have power restored within 72 hours to parts of Baghdad, which has been without electricity since April 4.
French President Jacques Chirac and Bush meanwhile took a small step toward bridging their deep differences over the war in Iraq, speaking for the first time in two months.
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