Iraqis losing faith in US warns CIA

A new top-secret intelligence report warns that Iraqis are losing faith in US led occupation forces, a development that is increasing support for the resistance, officials said today.

CIA officials refused to confirm the existence of the report, but it comes to light amid high-level meetings on the situation in Iraq. Two other senior US officials said the report paints a worrisome picture of the political and security situation there.

It suggests spiralling violence and a lack of confidence in the US appointed Iraqi Governing Council may be bringing efforts to a turning point, sending more Iraqis over to the side of insurgents fighting occupation troops, said two officials.

Asked about the increase in guerrilla attacks on coalition forces in Iraq, Republican Senator John McCain, said “these are very intelligent moves that the bad people are making ... time is not on our side.”

Because the report is classified, the officials talked about it only in general terms and only on grounds they not be publicly identified. They declined to furnish details.

On the subject of the increasing violence, one official noted that American forces already are using more aggressive raids and other tactics to try to fight insurgents, which officials fear could alienate more Iraqis.

For instance, American forces responded with aerial bombing and mortars over the weekend in a show-of-force response to the downing of a U.S. helicopter last week.

Today, US troops opened fire accidentally on a car carrying a member of the Iraqi Governing Council, the Iraqi administration said. The council member escaped injury but the driver was hurt.

A Pentagon official said the administration worries that support of coalition partners also could wane, as more international contingents suffer casualties in Iraq. He spoke after 15 Italians were killed in Nasiriyah today.

Meanwhile on the political side, the CIA report warns, appointed Iraqi leaders do not appear to be up to the job of governing or working toward holding elections, one official said.

He declined to say what, if any, recommendations the CIA made in the report delivered to the administration Monday.

The Philadelphia Inquirer said the report found it is impossible to completely seal Iraq’s borders against infiltration by foreign fighters. It also raised concern that majority Shiite Muslims could begin joining minority Sunnis in turning against the occupation.