Iraq Moving In 'negative' Direction: Us Official

WASHINGTON - Security in Iraq is "moving in a negative direction" and that the term "civil war" aptly describes elements of the conflict there, US intelligence chief Michael McConnell said on Tuesday.
"Unless efforts to reverse these conditions gain real traction during the 12-18 month time frame ... we assess that the security situation will continue to deteriorate at rates comparable to the latter half of 2006," McConnell told lawmakers on the Senate Armed Services Committee.
The director of national intelligence also said "the term `civil war` accurately describes key elements of the Iraqi conflict" including the hardening of sectarian divisions and population "displacements."

02/27/2007 15:30 GMT