Echoing the harsh assessments of his superiors, the top U.S. commander in Iraq said a civil war in that country was "certainly possible," ABC Television reported Tuesday.

"When you have levels of sectarian violence the way they are, it (civil war) certainly is possible," George Casey, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, told ABC Television during a recent interview.

He also acknowledged that there was no question that the sectarian violence in Baghdad at present was the worst ever seen.

However, the general said he believed that "Iraqis are determined not to go there (civil war)."

The Iraqis "are determined to prevent that, and they're taking what I would say were the appropriate actions along with us and their security forces to ensure that doesn't happen, " Casey added.

Last week, Peter Pace, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff and John Abizaid, commander of U.S. Central Command, told a Senate committee that they believed a civil war was possible in Iraq and that it could not be stopped by U.S. military might alone.

The general's comments reflected a dilemma for the Bush administration, which is torn between the harsh reality in Iraq which requires more troops in the country and a growing demand from Americans who want to bring their troops back as soon as possible.

Source: Xinhua