Al Qaeda tries to foment Iraq civil war: US General

Washington, Nov 30: Attacks in Iraq carried out by al Qaeda are ''specifically designed to create a civil war,'' the top US general said today.

Gen Peter Pace, chairman of the military Joint Chiefs of Staff, echoed US President George W Bush in playing down growing signs that Iraq is already engulfed in civil war and instead accused al Qaeda of fomenting sectarian bloodshed.

''The Iraqi government does not call it a civil war,'' he told reporters. ''Two, the Iraqi government is functioning.

''Three, the Iraqi security forces are responsive to the Iraqi government,'' he added. ''Four, the level of violence that is being inflicted by al Qaeda and the like is specifically designed to create a civil war.'' Much of the violence raging in Iraq has been Shi'ite and Sunni Muslims carrying out revenge attacks against each other.

Pace spoke as Bush, under heavy pressure for a change of course in Iraq, arrived for crisis talks with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki in Jordan. Their meeting set for today was delayed until tomorrow.

The impending talks were clouded by a leaked White House memo questioning Maliki's ability to halt escalating sectarian violence.

Pace and his senior commanders are conducting an intensive review of strategy for the war in Iraq, where about 139,000 US troops are bogged down fighting a bloody insurgency and trying to quell wave after wave of sectarian violence.

Reuters