WASHINGTON — Facing an intensifying insurgency and a frail government in Baghdad, the Bush administration has reluctantly changed course to deepen its involvement in the process of running Iraq.
U.S. officials are taking a more central and visible role in mediating among political factions, pushing for the government to be more inclusive and helping resuscitate public services. At the same time, Washington is maintaining pressure on Iraqi officials to upgrade the nation's fledgling security forces.
The change comes at a time when confidence in the leaders elected in January has been falling and U.S. officials have grown more pessimistic about how soon Iraqi security forces will be able to take charge of the counterinsurgency effort.
Marine's memorial -- A caption in Friday's Section A with a photo of a funeral procession said the casket of Lance Cpl. Wesley Davids was being carried through the streets of Dublin, Ohio, on a military caisson. The horse-drawn wagon was a hearse.
Both before and after the election, the Bush administration tried to scale back its role and shift decisions to the Iraqi leadership. U.S. officials had feared that a continued high profile might prove counterproductive, giving the impression that Iraqi government leaders were not acting independently.
But in recent weeks, as formation of the new government inched along and the insurgency escalated, some Iraqi officials began telling the Americans that they needed more support and mediation to overcome differences among factions, U.S. and Iraqi officials said.
"These are Iraqi issues. But that doesn't mean we can't make use of American experience and friendly advice," said Karim Khutar Almusawi of the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq, a leading Shiite Muslim political party.
The new American approach came clearly into focus this week. Deputy Secretary of State Robert B. Zoellick, visiting Iraq on Thursday, called for "an inclusive process" in governing the country and urged action on a new constitution. His trip came days after a visit by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
Rice's visit, which carried a signal of American support for the fledgling government, was "very welcome," Almusawi said.
U.S. officials acknowledged that they were pressing hard for Iraq to move ahead. Although Iraqis are making the choices, the officials said, Washington has "red lines" that its partners must not cross. For instance, the U.S. insists that the Iraqi government be democratic and that the country be pluralistic, yet united, one official said.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because of rules that forbid many U.S. officials from talking publicly unless they restrict themselves to the language of prepared policy statements.
