State's Jeffrey Sees Little Likelihood of Civil War in Iraq

Iraq policy coordinator fields questions in March 13 webchat

A senior U.S. government official discounts the likelihood of Iraq slipping into a civil war and says the Iraqi people hold the solution to the sectarian violence that threatens the country's stability.

"[W]e have full confidence that Iraqi forces, as we have seen in the past few weeks, can respond to any outbreaks of sectarian unrest," according to the State Department's coordinator for Iraq policy James Jeffrey.

Addressing participants in a White House webchat March 13, Jeffrey said, "While civil war is a possibility, we do not believe that it is likely at this point, and we believe that this likelihood has further decreased in the past several weeks."

Since the bombing of the Golden Mosque in Samarra, February 22, Iraqi security forces and political leaders have been working to quell sectarian tensions.

Jeffrey said the United States recognizes the risk posed by the recent upswing in sectarian violence but is working to help the Iraqis confront the problem. In the short term, he said, U.S. and collation forces are supporting Iraqi security forces to restore order, and in the long term, the United States is supporting the establishment of an inclusive political process "that brings in all legitimate elements of the Iraqi population."

"There can only be an Iraqi solution to this violence, but we and the rest of the international community can certainly help, and we are," he said.

Jeffrey dismissed the suggestion that Iraq should be divided into three separate states, saying the United States supports a "federal, democratic, pluralist, and unified" Iraq. He welcomed the Iraqis' commitment to these same goals in their newly adopted constitution.

Jeffrey reaffirmed the United States' commitment to withdrawing its forces when the conditions permit. He said the United States recently reduced its military presence by two battalions. He also said the United States would leave immediately if a democratically elected Iraqi government or the Iraqi people asked it to do so.

Source: U.S. Department of State

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