Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim Jaafari set out a 12-point security plan today to fight "the worst kind of war" waged by insurgents but gave few details of how he would end daily bloodshed.
Faced with suicide bombings, assassinations, sectarian strife and growing questions from Iraqi voters -- set for an election in under five months, about when US troops will go home, Jaafari is keen to show his government is taking control.
At a news conference, described in advance by his office as "very important", Jaafari said he had seen an an improvement in the abilities of Iraqi security forces.
He presented a broad strategy for defeating guerrillas waging a campaign to topple his US-backed government, saying "we are at war, the worst kind of war".
It included better intelligence coordination, the creation of a War Information Office to undermine the support base of terrorists, improved border security through closer cooperation and an economic plan to defeat the insurgency.
Point Eight, as described in a statement from Jaafari's office, was: "Encouraging increased participation in the political process and launching initiatives for national unity."
The prime minister unveiled his plan hours after journalists accompanied him to a police graduation ceremony in a southern town where a suicide bomber had killed 125 people in February.
Iraq's new leaders came to power after a January election at which they promised to defeat guerrillas.
But Iraqis have witnessed increasing violence and sectarian tensions since the polls empowered Jaafari's Shi'ite-dominated government and sidelined minority Sunnis who once formed Saddam Hussein's power base.