Maliki insists Iraq will not slide into civil war

LONDON, July 24: Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki insisted today that his country would not slide into civil war despite rising levels of sectarian violence which is killing up to 100 people a day.

Speaking on BBC radio ahead of a meeting with British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Maliki he would discuss ways of improving Iraqi security during talks in London.

''There is a sectarian issue, but the political leaders ... are working on putting an end to the sectarian issue,'' he said. ''Civil war will not happen to Iraq.'' Maliki confirmed recent UN data showing that an average of 100 civilians were killed a day during May and June and said disarming militias was key to a more stable future for Iraq.

''We have reached an agreement in the government that we will have to confront them (the militias) and deal with them. This is the security vision that we have. We are confident that we will confront the terrorism and violence that is in Iraq.'' After talks with Blair today, Maliki is due to travel to Washington to meet President George W Bush tomorrow, where he is also expected to discuss ways of improving security in Baghdad. It is Maliki's first trip outside the West Asia since he formed his unity government two months ago.

Maliki said Iraq should not only be seen in terms of ''images of blood'', saying there were ''signs of victory'' in the government's battle to clamp down on insurgency.

Asked how long he thought Iraq would need the assistance of foreign troops, he said he expected to see major improvements in Iraq's ability to police itself by the end of the year.

''It is definitely not decades, not even years,'' he said.

''There are certain aspects of our local forces that need development. When that happens, foreign troops can start leaving.'' REUTERS