Iraq on brink of civil war

The Iraqi government will impose a daytime curfew on Baghdad and three surrounding provinces today in an effort to avert sectarian clashes on the Muslim day of prayer, government sources said yesterday.

An overnight curfew will be extended until 4 p.m. (2 p.m. Malta time) and police will arrest those who take to the streets, even to go to mosques, sources in the prime minister's office and the Interior Ministry told Reuters after two days of sectarian violence between Shi'ites and minority Sunni Muslims.

Sectarian violence has killed more than 130 people across Iraq and left dozens of mosques damaged or in ruins as the United States appealed yesterday to Sunnis and Shi'ites to step back from the brink of civil war.

Dozens of bloody revenge attacks have contributed to the mounting death toll since Wednesday's suspected al Qaeda bombing of one of the holiest shrines in Shi'ite Islam.

President George W. Bush stepped into the worst crisis since the US invasion, one that threatens efforts to form a stable, unity government and bring US troops home from Iraq.

"The voices of reason from all aspects of Iraqi life understand that this bombing is intended to create civil strife," Mr Bush said as the military reported seven more US soldiers had been killed in two separate attacks on Wednesday and US forces in Baghdad adopted a low profile.

He praised Iraqi leaders' public efforts to maintain calm. The UN envoy also stepped in, asking Iraqi leaders to join him in a meeting: "I have invited political, religious and civil leaders to discuss confidence-building measures to ensure the situation remains under control," Ashraf Qazi told Reuters.