BAGHDAD, Oct 26 (AFP) - Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi said Tuesday that "gross negligence" by some elements of the US-led military in Iraq was partly to blame for the killing of 49 unarmed army recruits and three drivers on Saturday, as he warned of more violence in the runup to January elections.
"I think it was because of gross negligence by some elements within the multinational forces," Allawi told the country`s interim parliament, without giving details.
"The killings represent the epitome of what could be done to hurt Iraq and the Iraqi people," he said, adding that a special investigation had been launched.
He characterised as a "dangerous precedent" the ambush and killing of army basic-training graduates as they were on their way from the Kirkush base near the Iranian border to their homes in the south.
Accusations were flying about how the recruits had been left defenceless in the windswept desert plain, cut off from all communication.
Nassir al-Shadershi, a member of parliament, had earlier accused authorities of failing in "their obligation to protect our own security forces".
Commenting on Allawi`s remarks, the chief spokesman for US-led troops in Iraq, Brigadier General Erv Lessel, said only insurgents and "no one else, must be held fully accountable for these heinous acts.
"This was a cold-blooded and systematic massacre by terrorists," he said.
"We will provide full support and cooperation to establish the facts and avoid repetition of similar incidents."
The US 1st Infantry Division commands the area where the corpses of the soldiers were discovered on the road between Baladruz and Badra, south of Baquba, a town 60 kilometres (40 miles) northeast of Baghdad.
The US military has been leading the effort in training Iraq`s nascent police, army and national guard at bases like Kirkush near the eastern city of Mandali.
But problems ranging from loyalty to lack of proper body armour and to badly protected vehicles continue to plague the force.
And incidents like the soldier massacre has brought to the forefront the danger that Iraq`s forces may have been infiltrated by insurgents.
Before Allawi addressed parliament, Interior Minister Falah Naqib spoke of the challenges facing Iraq`s forces, alluding to the risk that some of them may be prone to bribes given the difficult economic conditions facing the country.
"Our forces are ill-equipped and poorly-trained to tackle terrorism," he said.
"We have information that men (some members of the security forces) get 500 dollars for carrying out one operation and that an additional bonus is paid if a policeman or national guard is killed in the attack."
The minister said he was working directly with Allawi on addressing these issues as he unveiled some chilling statistics on the number of Iraqis killed and wounded in attacks in recent months.
More than 560 people have been killed and 1,200 injured in 92 suicide attacks in Iraq in the four months to September, he said.
Allawi warned parliament of more violence and attacks against Iraqis between now and the January elections.
"Our enemies have realised that it would be a big blow to them if Iraq was stable and was on the right path, so they will escalate terror and criminal acts," said Allawi.
"So expect a far wider campaign of violence against Iraq and Iraqis to stop the march towards progress."
The prime minister said the government had "concrete intelligence" that new militant foreign fighters have made their way recently into the insurgent bastion of Fallujah, west of Baghdad to this end.
"We have sure information that new salafists (hardline Sunnis) have entered Fallujah recently to hurt the people of Fallujah and to keep the situation there enflamed."
Meanwhile, an armed group threatened attacks on US and Iraqi forces, as well as Iraqi government officials, following what it called the breakdown in talks over the future of the insurgent hotbed of Fallujah, according to a statement aired Tuesday by Al-Arabiya television.
The group calling itself the Islamic Resistance Movement in Iraq "threatened to attack all relevant military objectives of the American and Iraqi forces," the Dubai-based television reported, quoting a statement whose authenticity could not be immediately verified.
Allawi said earlier Tuesday that Iraq`s interim administration has still not ruled out a peaceful solution to the standoff between US troops and the insurgent-controlled city of Fallujah.
Talks between the US-backed government and delegates from the Sunni Muslim hotspot collapsed in mid-October after Allawi ordered the city to surrender suspected Al-Qaeda-linked militants or face invasion.
Since October 14, US troops have encircled Fallujah, where the military has repeatedly launched air strikes and ground incursions.

10/26/2004 18:40 GMT - AFP