Arab League Chief Says Iraq Is On Brink Of Civil War

Arab League Secretary-General Amr Musa (file photo) 8 October 2005 -- Arab League Secretary General Amr Musa warned today that civil war could erupt at any moment in Iraq.
With just one week to go before a scheduled referendum on a draft constitution, Musa told the BBC that all factions in Iraq are being encouraged to "grab whatever they can grab."

Arab League diplomats are due in Iraq soon to prepare for a reconciliation conference bringing all factions together.

Meanwhile, on the ground, insurgents exploding roadside bombs committing drive-by shootings killed one Iraqi and wounded 10 others today.

The U.S. military said it killed 50 militants during a seven-day operation, dubbed Iron Fist, in the Anbar region near the Syrian border.

A second military offensive is continuing in the Euphrates Valley -- a key transit route from Syria to Baghdad.

(AFP/AP)