Iraq casualty dispute as US denies Baghdad figures

The US has disagreed with Iraqi assertions that July was the deadliest month there for more than two years.

According to the US military, 222 Iraqis died in July - fewer than half the 535 Baghdad says lost their lives.

The US released its own figures after Baghdad's information prompted concern that insurgents are exploiting a post-election power vacuum.

Insurgent attacks have increased amid failure to form a government since inconclusive elections in March.

Sunni, Shia and Kurdish factions that won most seats are still bickering over who should be the next prime minister.

Both former Prime Minister Iyad Allawi and incumbent Nouri Maliki insist that they are best placed to lead the war-torn country.

March's elections left Mr Allawi's Sunni-backed secular Iraqiyya alliance with 91 seats, just two ahead of Mr Maliki's mainly Shia coalition.

Both are well short of the 163 seats needed to form a government, meaning that some sort of wider coalition will be needed.

People are getting fed up with the stalemate, the BBC's Hugh Sykes reports from Baghdad.

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