• E-mail
• Print
• Comment
• Font Size
• Digg
• del.icio.us
• Discuss article

Bush denies Iraq headed for civil war

Posted on: Tuesday, 28 February 2006, 16:09 CST

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President George W. Bush denied on Tuesday that Iraq was headed for civil war as the country was rocked by a new surge of sectarian violence.

Bush told ABC News he had spoken to leaders of all Iraqi sects after last week's bombing of a major Shi'ite mosque and "I heard loud and clear that they understand that they're going to choose unification, and we're going to help them do so."

In the worst week of sectarian bloodshed since a 2003 U.S.-led invasion, attacks in Baghdad killed at least 60 people on Tuesday, leading U.S. envoy Zalmay Khalilzad to say the country "came close to civil war"

Asked what Washington would do if civil war broke out, Bush said in the ABC interview: "I don't buy your premise that there's going to be a civil war."

Citing U.S. efforts to train Iraqi police and soldiers, Bush reiterated his stance that U.S. troops would stay in Iraq "until the Iraqis can defend themselves."

Bush's comments coincided with new opinion polls showing that America's backing for his handling of the war in Iraq had tumbled to an all-time low and the vast majority of troops fighting there want out within the next year.

The latest surveys painted a grim picture for Bush amid violence in Iraq that has dented U.S. hopes for stability needed to pave the way for any drawdown of U.S. troops.

Source: REUTERS

More News in this Category