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BAGHDAD - President George W. Bush met one of Iraq's most powerful Shi'ite faction leaders today.
Meanwhile Bush's military chief and envoy in Baghdad implored Iraqis to break a cycle of violence that will "destroy you and your country".
Bush, his Iraq policy under growing criticism even from former allies, said he and Abdul Aziz al-Hakim had discussed a need for Iraqi leaders to "reject the extremists that are trying to stop the advance of this young democracy."
"I told him we're not satisfied with the pace of progress in Iraq and that we want to continue to work with the sovereign government in Iraq to accomplish our mutual objectives, which is a free country that can govern itself, sustain itself and defend itself," Bush said.
Hakim, a Shi'ite Muslim cleric who rose to power in Iranian exile at the head of SCIRI's armed wing the Badr Brigade, denies accusations by Saddam Hussein's once dominant Sunni minority that his party is behind any of hundreds of weekly killings.
Bush met Shi'ite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki last week and is due to meet Sunni Vice President Tareq al-Hashemi later this month as he seeks a new approach to a deepening crisis that could upset the entire Middle East.
UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan added his voice on Sunday to those now describing fighting in Iraq as civil war, a term Bush rejects.
The 24 hours to Monday evening saw 52 more victims of sectarian death squads dumped in Baghdad.
In one of the most vivid signs of American alarm, the US ambassador in Baghdad and the commander of US forces issued a joint statement on Monday, saying: "We implore all Iraqis not to become pawns of those who seek to destroy you and your country."
Condemning the worst bombing since the US invasion, which killed over 200 Shi'ites in Baghdad last month, Zalmay Khalilzad and General George Casey said: "Do not allow yourself to be drawn down the road of senseless brutality by striking back."
Many Iraqis, however, fear their oil-rich nation passed the point of no-return into sectarian division after the destruction of a Shi'ite shrine in February sparked a wave of tit-for-tat bloodshed that has grown ever since. Maliki's unity government has struggled to make any impact in seven months in office.
Maliki's government hit back at the UN chief.
"In calling the events in Iraq a civil war, (Kofi Annan) is gilding the image of the former regime, which was known for crimes against humanity," it said.
Iran and Syria
Hakim has said all communities have a place in Iraq but SCIRI, which retains close ties with US adversaries in Shi'ite Iran, also strongly defends the principle of Shi'ite majority rule.
On Wednesday, the bipartisan Iraq Study Group co-chaired by former secretary of state James Baker is to offer Bush further proposals on stabilising Iraq and reducing the US presence.
These could include US troops taking a back-seat to Iraqi forces and seeking help from neighbouring Iran and Syria.
Another four US troops were killed on Sunday when their Marine transport helicopter came down in a lake in the violent western province of Anbar, the US military said.
Losses have taken the number of American dead since 2003 to close to 2,900 and increased pressure among US voters for withdrawal. Such sentiment cost Bush's Republicans control of Congress last month and the party is anxious not to lose the White House too when Bush's second term ends in two years.
Many US hopes rest in the performance of more than 300,000 newly trained Iraqi soldiers and police. Maliki won a promise from Bush of more training and equipment and said last week he expected they could be in overall command by June.
US commanders, however, question the effectiveness and sectarian loyalties of many Iraqi units. Many are seen as loyal to Hakim's party or to his main Shi'ite rival Moqtada al-Sadr, while some look to Sunni or Kurdish leaders for direction.
- REUTERS
