White House fears bloodshed as handover approaches
Top US government officials are braced for more bloodshed in Iraq in the next few weeks as militants try to create turmoil before the June 30 handover of power.
The White House fears the situation will worsen following the deadliest month yet for US troops in Iraq,
Officials say they see hope that the situation will eventually improve, but cannot say when the turning point will come.
From President Bush down, the administration now acknowledges that the US-led occupation bred more frustration among Iraqis than the White House had initially expected.
A senior administration official said there were developments that could lead to an improvement – the Americans on the ground know more about how to work with local leaders, Iraqis will soon have a measure of political power, and they already have defence and interior ministers.
But the official says it is likely that in the next few weeks, those who oppose the American presence will intensify their attacks. In April, 136 American soldiers died in Iraq, and 10 times as many Iraqis – on both counts, the most since Saddam Hussein’s fall.
Pictures of Americans abusing Iraqi prisoners are damaging to the US cause, the official said.
The administration is hoping that positive images of US soldiers building schools and clinics will help counter those photos.
The senior official would not rule out the possibility of a request by the administration for more money to finance military operations in Iraq.
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