US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton today urged Iraqis to overcome their divisions as a spate of suicide bombings revived fears of a renewed sectarian war when US troops withdraw.
Making a brief visit to Baghdad, her first since becoming secretary of state, Ms Clinton sought to reassure Iraqis of US support as Washington prepares to withdraw all its troops by the end of 2011.
The US diplomat arrived on a military transport plane a day after two female suicide bombers blew themselves up outside a Shia Muslim shrine in Baghdad, killing 60 people in the deadliest single incident in Iraq in more than 10 months.
It was the third major attack in two days, bringing the death toll since Thursday to at least 150 people.
The attacks have fanned fears of a resurgence in violence as the United States prepares to pull its combat troops out of Iraqi cities by the end of June, to end all combat missions in August 2010 and to bring all forces home by the end of 2011.
At a town hall meeting with about 150 Iraqis at US embassy, an Iraqi journalist bluntly said many Iraqis are afraid of what will happen when US troops leave and that people did not trust Iraqi security forces.
"There is nothing more important than to have a united Iraq," Ms Clinton replied.
"The more united Iraq is, the more you will trust the security services. The security services have to earn your trust but the people have to demand it."
The sectarian warfare and insurgency unleashed by the 2003 US-led invasion have receded sharply over the past year, but Iraqi security forces still face huge challenges as they take on policing and military operations from the United States.
A national election scheduled for the end of the year has also heightened apprehensions as political parties and armed groups jostle for dominance of the oil-producing nation.
Reuters