Iraqis 'averting civil war'

General John Abizaid

The United States general in charge of American forces in Iraq blames al Qaeda for the explosion in sectarian violence but believes key Iraqi leaders are preventing a descent into outright civil war.

General John Abizaid, the commander of the US Central Command, which covers operations in the Middle East, said yesterday: "This is clearly a terrorist act. I'm sure that it will be traced back to people that have ties into al Qaeda and [al Qaeda leader in Iraq Abu Musab al-] Zarqawi's organisation.

"It was designed precisely to do this, to get in the sectarian divide, to cause civil war. And the good people have got to not fall into that trap.

"I think there's still more people in Iraq trying to hold it together than tear it apart. I believe that the responsible leadership in Iraq have come forward and very strongly condemned this action.

"The Iraqi security forces, the coalition security forces that are there, are capable of continuing to stabilise the country. I don't see the country moving towards civil war unless key leaders start to advocate that."

General Abizaid, who also paid a whistle-stop visit to Australia, said he had come "to talk to the Prime Minister and the military leadership to explain to them how we see things in the [Middle East] region" and to update her on New Zealand's forces there.

New Zealand has a 120-strong provincial reconstruction team (PRT), which the general described as expert, working in Afghanistan's Bamiyan province. "They run one of the best provincial reconstruction teams on Afghanistan."

Defence Minister Phil Goff has pledged to extend New Zealand's PRT commitment and the general said while he hadn't made any requests in regard to that "I did indicate that we would welcome their continued presence".

On the level of risk faced by New Zealand troops, he said: "If it wasn't dangerous we wouldn't need military forces. We need military forces. It's a dangerous environment."

He was asked if the ban on joint military training between the US and New Zealand - enforced after New Zealand introduced its anti-nuclear legislation - was affecting New Zealand troops' ability to work alongside their counterparts. "No. I know it's an issue. It's not my issue ... Has that seemed to influence how New Zealanders operate in my region? I'd say no."

The situation in Afghanistan was "not getting worse, it's getting different" as the Taleban changed their tactics, he said.

The length of the military presence required there was likely to be longer than in Iraq.

"Iraq has got much more intact infrastructure. It has developed along different lines. It's forming a four-year Government. It's developing an armed forces at a fairly fast rate.

"In Afghanistan it's a longer-term proposition because what little infrastructure existed before the period of civil war was largely destroyed."

Asked about the strong anti-US sentiment in the Middle East, the general - a fluent Arabic speaker of Lebanese Christian descent - said the region had "a rich and deep culture reacting to the pressures of globalisation" with some wanting change and others a return to traditional ways.

"Groups such as al Qaeda don't represent a traditional way of doing business ... and I think they are a manifestation of people coming to grips with religion, culture, globalisation and all the other pressures of the modern world," General Abizaid.

"The struggle within the Middle East between moderates and extremists is really important for everybody, not just the US," said General Abizaid.

"Al Qaeda is not a popular organisation but they are very intimidating. They have an ideology that could become mainstream...

"It's important for the rest of the world to use not only its military power but its other power to help people out and get through the difficult period."