Iraq on brink of ‘civil war’

UNITED NATIONS – UN chief Kofi Annan said on Monday that Iraq was already “almost” in a state of civil war or would soon be if drastic steps are not taken to halt the spiral of deadly sectarian violence there.

Asked by a reporter whether Iraq was in the midst of a civil war, the outgoing UN secretary general replied: “I think given the developments in the ground, unless something is done drastically and urgently to arrest the deteriorating situation, we could be there, in fact we are almost there.” Annan made the comments hours before he was due to confer with the Iraq Study Group, a bipartisan US panel co-chaired by former secretary of state James Baker, a Republican, and Lee Hamilton, a former Democratic lawmaker.Annan’s spokesman Stephane Dujarric said the discussions via a teleconference would be held at the request of the 10-member commission.The panel favours launching direct talks with Iran and Syria on how to stabilise Iraq but is divided on whether to set a timetable for a withdrawal of US troops from Iraq, according to the New York Times.It was tasked by US President George W Bush’s administration with coming up with strategic options for Iraq.Annan has long urged Washington to initiate a dialogue with Tehran and Damascus but Bush has so far refused.The US president is to discuss the escalating violence in Iraq during talks in Amman with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki on Wednesday and Thursday.The meeting will come less than a week after bloody car bomb attacks against Iraqi Shi’ites that killed more than 200 people in Baghdad and signalled a new escalation in sectarian violence.Ahead of the Amman meeting, Jordan’s King Abdullah II warned on Sunday of “the strong potential of three civil wars in the region, whether it’s the Palestinians, that of Lebanon or of Iraq.””There needs to be some very strong action taken on the ground there today,” Abdullah said, referring to Iraq.”There needs to be a strategy.There needs to be a plan that brings all the parties together, and bring them today and not tomorrow.”He said he hoped the meeting between Bush and Maliki would result in some progress for the violence-wracked region.Meanwhile Iraqi President Jalal Talabani said on Monday he was seeking Iran’s full cooperation to stabilise Iraq as he started talks with President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who vowed that Tehran would help.”We need Iran’s comprehensive help to fight terrorism, restore security and stabilise Iraq,” Talabani told reporters at the beginning of a two-day visit to Iraq’s Shiite-dominated eastern neighbour.Ahmadinejad vowed to cooperate, saying “We will help our Iraqi brothers with all that we can to implement and reinforce security in Iraq.”Nampa-AFPAnnan made the comments hours before he was due to confer with the Iraq Study Group, a bipartisan US panel co-chaired by former secretary of state James Baker, a Republican, and Lee Hamilton, a former Democratic lawmaker.Annan’s spokesman Stephane Dujarric said the discussions via a teleconference would be held at the request of the 10-member commission.The panel favours launching direct talks with Iran and Syria on how to stabilise Iraq but is divided on whether to set a timetable for a withdrawal of US troops from Iraq, according to the New York Times.It was tasked by US President George W Bush’s administration with coming up with strategic options for Iraq.Annan has long urged Washington to initiate a dialogue with Tehran and Damascus but Bush has so far refused.The US president is to discuss the escalating violence in Iraq during talks in Amman with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki on Wednesday and Thursday.The meeting will come less than a week after bloody car bomb attacks against Iraqi Shi’ites that killed more than 200 people in Baghdad and signalled a new escalation in sectarian violence.Ahead of the Amman meeting, Jordan’s King Abdullah II warned on Sunday of “the strong potential of three civil wars in the region, whether it’s the Palestinians, that of Lebanon or of Iraq.””There needs to be some very strong action taken on the ground there today,” Abdullah said, referring to Iraq.”There needs to be a strategy.There needs to be a plan that brings all the parties together, and bring them today and not tomorrow.”He said he hoped the meeting between Bush and Maliki would result in some progress for the violence-wracked region.Meanwhile Iraqi President Jalal Talabani said on Monday he was seeking Iran’s full cooperation to stabilise Iraq as he started talks with President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who vowed that Tehran would help.”We need Iran’s comprehensive help to fight terrorism, restore security and stabilise Iraq,” Talabani told reporters at the beginning of a two-day visit to Iraq’s Shiite-dominated eastern neighbour.Ahmadinejad vowed to cooperate, saying “We will help our Iraqi brothers with all that we can to implement and reinforce security in Iraq.”Nampa-AFP