BAGHDAD, March 3 (Xinhuanet) -- The Iraqi government has extended the state of emergency for another 30 days except for the Kurdish region, interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi's office said Thursday.

   The state of emergency was first announced four months ago to give the country's security forces extra powers to arrest suspects without warrants and launch military operations to control the rebel areas throughout the country.

   The law also includes enforcing curfew in the Iraqi cities during the nighttime. 

   According to the statement, the Kurdish region in northern Iraq is excluded in the emergency law.  Enditem