Prometheus 6

U.S. Says Violence Is Meant To Topple Iraqi Government
By Robin Wright
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, November 25, 2006; A15

The Bush administration charged yesterday that the escalating violence in Iraq committed by both Shiites and Sunnis over the past two days is a "brazen effort" to bring down the fragile government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.

The White House also said that President Bush had no intention of backing out of talks next week with the Iraqi leader, despite threats yesterday from a powerful Shiite militia to pull out of the government if Maliki went ahead with the meeting. The talks, set for Thursday in Amman, Jordan, have suddenly taken on the air of a crisis summit, as Iraq slides closer to all-out civil war.

The latest attacks, including six car-bomb attacks on Shiite targets in Baghdad on Thursday and retaliatory strikes on Sunni targets yesterday, killed more than 200 people in the deadliest wave of violence since the U.S.-led coalition invaded Iraq in 2003.

Rumors of yesterday's atrocities included one report of six Sunni men who emerged from Friday services at a Baghdad mosque and were doused with kerosene and burned alive. But two Baghdad imams, in an interview, denied the incident took place.

"These ruthless acts of violence are deplorable," White House spokesman Scott Stanzel said. "It is an outrage that these terrorists are targeting innocents in a brazen effort to topple a democratically elected government. These killers will not succeed.

"Securing Baghdad and gaining control of the violent situation will be a priority agenda item when President Bush meets with Prime Minister al-Maliki in just a few days."