Top US commander says Iraq crisis has passed
The top US military commander in Iraq said today it appears the crisis has passed after days of bloodshed there between religious sects, but he conceded that a major new terrorist attack would threaten stability anew.
While General George Casey said anything can happen, he played down suggestions the country is headed for civil war. He spoke as violence spawned by the bombing of a sacred mosque continued with yet another deadly day. Yesterday’s attacks claimed 58 lives.
“Now, it appears that the crisis has passed,” Casey said in a briefing from Baghdad with reporters at the Defence Department.
“But we all should be clear: Iraqis remain under threat of terrorist attack by those who will stop at nothing to undermine the formation of the constitutionally elected government.”
He added: “I think it’s safe to say that a major attack, particularly on a religious site, would have a significant impact on the situation here coming in the next couple of days.”
He said officials routinely hear about probable terrorist activity. He would not confirm reports that intelligence has picked up warnings that a high profile attack in Iraq is being planned by al-Qaida.
Casey said he still plans to make recommendations on troop withdrawals to the administration this spring. But he said Iraq’s sectarian militias are a long-term problem for the government, and “there’s no silver-bullet quick solution to it.”
The latest round of killings was prompted by the February 22 bombing of an important Shiite shrine in the central city of Samarra and reprisals against Sunni mosques.
“This incident and its aftermath has highlighted for the Iraqi government the need to deal with the militia issue in the very near future,” said Casey. He called it “a difficult few days here in Iraq that came at a very sensitive time.”
On a separate topic, Casey said he does not plan to stop the military’s programme of paying to plant stories in the Iraqi media. After a lengthy investigation, he said, officials found that “we were operating within our authorities and responsibilities.”
He said there will be some procedural changes recommended.
| Related Stories: |
|
