BAGHDAD, March 20 (Xinhua) -- Three years after the U.S.-led invasion, Iraq is beset with sectarian conflicts and insurgent violence while a broad-based government is still on the negotiating table.

    Iraqi security forces, backed by the U.S. military, launched the largest military operation, dubbed "Operation Swarmer," against the backdrop of the third anniversary of the U.S.-led war on Iraq, which began on March 20, 2003, in a grim reminder of the failure of coalition forces and Iraqi government to pacify the country since former President Saddam Hussein's fall.

    The offensive concentrates on the area of Samarra, north of Baghdad, which became bastions of militants after they were forced by tribal militia to leave the western Anbar province.

    Therefore, insurgent violence around Samarra was rampant with the coming of these militants and reached climax following the bombing of a Shiite holy shrine in Samarra.

    Unidentified militants on Feb. 22 bombed the Ali al-Hadi Mausoleum, one of the holiest Shiite mosques housing the 10th and 11th of the Shiite's 12 most revered Imams, igniting days of sectarian conflicts between Shiite and Sunni Muslims in which at least 600 people were killed.

    During the past few weeks, the escalating sectarian conflicts in addition to the already rampant insurgent violence not only slowed down the process of forming a national unity government but pushed the war-ravaged country to the edge of civil war.

    Former Interim Prime Minister Ayad Allawi told BBC on Sunday that the increasing attacks across Iraq can only be described as a civil war.

    "It is unfortunate that we are in civil war. We are losing each day as an average 50 to 60 people throughout the country, if not more," Allawi said.

    "If this is not civil war, then God knows what civil war is,"he added.

    Some analysts cautioned against hasty conclusions that the country was plunged into an abyss of civil war, while all politicians appeared determined to put a lid on sectarian strife out of fear for the country's dissolution.

    The government has dismissed the civil war rhetoric as media hype.

    Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari said that "Iraq is far away from a civil war. There is no Shiite against a Sunni or a Muslim against a non-Muslim."

    Cross-sectarian meetings aimed at bridging the gap between the two sects have been going on in Baghdad and other religiously mixed cities.

    On the political front, Iraqi political leaders continued their uphill battle to seek national unity, a deadlock that has hampered efforts to stave off an outright civil war.

    Although elections, constitution writing and referendum went well, the forming of the government was in difficulty as Iraqi political parties have been wrangling over the nomination of incumbent Prime Minister Jaafari.

    Some Sunni, Kurdish and secular politicians united against Jaafari's nomination, faulting him for failing to bring security and prosperity to the country.

    Iraq's full-term parliament held its opening session on Thursday, but the gathering was largely ceremonial as it hastily ended after 40 minutes without any tangible results.

    Painting a rosy picture, President Jalal Talabani said last week "by the end of the month we will form a government of national unity and Iraq will be strong and will be free from terrorism."

    However, not everyone is buying Talabani's prediction. Hassanal-Shemmary, a Shiite politician, said "he didn't expect to see a new government before May."

    As the political wrangling dragged long, the United States increased its effort to bring about a government out of political vacuum to avoid a foreseeable civil war while calling for broad compromise.

    U.S. President George W. Bush on Saturday urged Americans to stay the course in Iraq and resist the impulse to retreat in his weekly radio address.

    So far more than 2,300 U.S. personnel have died since the war. More than 17,000 were also wounded.

    However, even if a spirit of compromise does emerge among Iraq's groups, major obstacles loom, including whether to set a timetable on withdrawal of coalition forces, to negotiate with insurgents or to change the controversial constitution.

    Down to their daily life, Iraqis are not lying in the bed of roses, but still groping for a simply peaceful life.

    Horrific stories about armed groups were legion over the past weeks, some militants in police uniform seized people from their homes and dumped their bodies on the street or open field days later.

    "Human life is the cheapest thing you can find in Iraq" said one Baghdadi, who was echoed by many.

    Obtaining an exact number of Iraqi deaths is almost impossible. At least 35,000 Iraqis, including soldiers and civilians, were estimated to have been killed since the invasion, while a British medical journal, The Lancet, suggested about 100,000 back in late 2004.

    Life in Baghdad and neighboring cities is chaotic when car bombs, assassinations, curfew, airport closure, unexpected house-searches, stock piling of food and gasoline in case of emergency have become part of the people's life.

    Standing at a crossroad, Iraq could suffer from escalating tit-for-tat killings or recover as people are praying for. Enditem