Analysis: U.S. Faces Hard Iraq Options

Masked gunmen stand on a street corner in southern Iraqi town of Amarah, 320 kilometers (200 miles) southeast of Baghdad, in this image taken from TV Friday Oct. 20, 2006. Mahdi Army, the Shiite militia run by anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr seized control of the southern Iraqi city of Amarah on Friday after their fighters stormed three main police stations Friday morning, planting explosives that flattened the buildings. (AP Photo/AP Television) (AP)

-- With pressure mounting for changing policy in Iraq, the U.S. faces tough options _ including partitioning the country, setting a date for a phased troop withdrawal and offering a role for neighboring powers whose influence Washington once sought to curb.

None offers a guarantee of success in bringing peace _ and some are unpalatable to powerful groups within the fragmented country.

But with midterm elections approaching, key figures in both U.S. political parties have concluded that "staying the course" offers little chance of ending the bloodshed and establishing a stable, democratic Iraq anytime soon.

Those doubts increased Thursday when the U.S. military spokesman in Baghdad, Maj. Gen. William Caldwell, said a two-month crackdown had failed to curb the violence and that security plans were under review.

"The violence is indeed disheartening," Caldwell said.

Faced with growing doubts about the war, President Bush said Friday he would consult with top generals in the next few days to see if a change in tactics was necessary in Iraq.

"We are constantly adjusting our tactics so we can achieve the objectives and right now, it's tough," the president told The Associated Press.

Much attention has been focused on the Iraq Study Group, a bipartisan panel led by former Secretary of State James A. Baker III and former Indiana Rep. Lee H. Hamilton that is due to recommend new strategies.

Although those recommendations are not expected until after next month's elections, a number of options are reportedly under discussion, including dividing Iraq into a Kurdish north, Shiite south and a Sunni district in central Iraq.

Iraq's parliament has approved legislation to allow formation of self-ruled federal regions _ a measure that would provide considerable autonomy but keep the country intact.

But even that limited division has drawn strong opposition from Sunni Arab leaders and radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, who fear it would lead to the breakup of the country and deprive Sunnis of a share of Iraq's vast oil wealth.

Establishment of a large, self-ruled Shiite ministate in the south could also open the door to expanded influence by Shiite-dominated Iran and trigger a bloody power struggle among Shiite factions.