Iraq Premier Says Civil War Not Inevitable

Damage from a July 20 roadside-bomb attack in Baghdad that killed two and wounded 12 (epa) July 24, 2006 -- Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki said today that Iraq is not destined to end up in a civil war.

In an interview with BBC radio before meeting in London with British Prime Minister Tony Blair, al-Maliki said he is "confident" his new government can confront and calm the militias that are carrying out sectarian attacks.


A new UN report says an average of 100 civilians a day were killed in Iraq in May and June.


(Reuters, BBC)

Sectarian Iraq

Sectarian Iraq

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SUNNI, SHI'A: Iraq is riven along sectarian lines, faults that frequently produce violent clashes and are a constant source of tension. Sectarian concerns drive much of Iraqi politics and are the main threat to the country's fragile security environment.


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