Leaders may meet to resolve Iraqi political turmoil

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- With the country's largest Sunni political bloc threatening to leave the Cabinet, top Iraqi leaders are hoping to sit down soon to settle the friction and finger-pointing among Sunni Arabs, Shiites and Kurds, officials told CNN on Saturday.

Among the top leaders who would be involved in such a meeting are President Jalal Talabani, who is Kurdish, Shiite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and Sunni Vice-President Tariq al-Hashimi -- a leader of the Iraqi Islamic Party, the most powerful group in the dissatisfied Sunni bloc, the Iraqi Accord Front.

There was also more violence in Iraq, Saturday. At least five people were killed in a car bombing in eastern Baghdad .

The "Front" -- whose 44 lawmakers ended its parliament boycott recently after the deposed Sunni parliamentary speaker returned to his position -- threatened to remove its ministers from the Cabinet recently unless the Shiite-led government meets its demands. The ministers have been postponing their participation in government.

The Front has been critical of legislative stalemates and the failure to achieve national reconciliation.

Wednesday they issued a statement demanding amnesty for detainees thought to be innocent, an end to raids that impinge on human rights, a halt to the integration of Shiite militias into the armed forces, disarming such militias, more consistent consultation on security matters, genuine participation in national decisions, the return of displaced people home, anti-corruption measures, and more transparency in major crime investigations.

The government, in response, said on Friday said the Accord Front is "hindering the political process" with its stance.

Government spokesman Ali Dabbagh issued a point-by-point refutation of the front's demands and said the government is making efforts to pursue national reconciliation and justice on the military and political fronts and is dealing with the militia types.

"The policy of threatening, extortion and pressures is useless policy, and hindering the government," Dabbagh said.

Car bombing kills 5

Five people were killed on Saturday in a Baghdad car bombing, the Interior Ministry said.

The bomb exploded in Uqba Bin Nafie square in eastern Baghdad around 12:15 p.m. Ten people were wounded as well.

Earlier in the capital, a mortar struck on the Amil neighborhood in southwestern Baghdad, wounding four people, police said.

In northern Iraq, U.S.-led coalition forces arrested 16 suspected terrorists in raids on Saturday, the U.S. military said. Raids in Tarmiya, north of Baghdad, ended with the successful detention of two senior terrorist leaders -- an al Qaeda in Iraq Sharia judge and his alleged advisor, the military said.

In addition, nine other suspects were arrested there.

In Samarra, a raid on four buildings netted an alleged bomb-making terrorist leader with suspected ties to assassination, kidnapping and extortion operations. The military said the individual is also believed to be a close associate of the local al Qaeda in Iraq emir.

The military said four other suspected terrorists were detained with him.

U.S. troops could start leaving in spring

A top U.S. commander in Iraq said if positive security trends in Iraq continue over the next year, "deliberate" troop draw-downs could unfold successfully this spring.

Lt. Gen. Raymond Odierno, commanding general of the Multi-National Corps-Iraq, told CNN's Arwa Damon on Saturday about several positive trends -- a decrease in roadside bomb attacks, fewer casualties, less violence and improved Iraqi security force performance.

"We're seeing some clear trends. What I have to understand --- are those trends going to continue?" said Odierno, the second in command of U.S. forces in Iraq.

But the general was optimistic about the future, adding, "I feel confident that we will be able to do something in the spring." E-mail to a friend

From CNN's Mohammed Tawfeeq and Basim Mahdi

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