BAGHDAD, Iraq - Iraq's prime minister reversed course Tuesday and said his envoys will talk with Iraq's neighbors about the possibility of a regional conference on quelling the violence here, despite opposition to the plan by some key political allies.

In this photo released by the Iraqi Prime Minister Press Office, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki holds a press conference in Baghdad, Iraq, Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2006. Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said Tuesday that his government will send envoys to neighboring countries to pave the way for a regional conference on ending the rampant violence in his country. [AP]

Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki made the announcement as more than 100 people were killed or found dead in and around Baghdad, underscoring the urgency of finding a solution to the bloodshed.

The US military said three more American troops had died Monday - two as a result of insurgent attacks and one in a traffic accident.

Despite a string of ambushes, mortar attacks and bombings Tuesday, the chief US military spokesman told reporters that all of Iraq would be under Baghdad's control by the fall of 2007, with US soldiers and Marines and other coalition forces playing a supporting role.

Al-Maliki, a Shiite, told reporters that his envoys would talk with other governments in the region, most of them Sunni-dominated, about how they might help establish security and stability in Iraq.

"After the political climate is cleared, we will call for the convening of a regional conference in which these countries that are keen on the stability and security of Iraq will participate," al-Maliki said.

The prime minister's statement fell short of an unconditional call for a conference. Previously, Iraqi leaders have resisted suggestions they include outsiders in efforts to settle their bitter internal divisions.

In recent days, President Jalal Talabani and a leading Shiite politician, Abdul-Aziz al-Hakim, have rejected UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan's proposal for a regional peace conference. Annan said such a gathering could be useful if the parties met outside Iraq.

Al-Maliki, though, said any conference should take place in Iraq. Any proposals to emerge, he added, should conform to "what the national unity government wants."

The Bush administration welcomed the announcement. "It's a good idea for the Iraqis to be involved in working with their neighbors on issues of regional security," said White House spokesman Tony Snow.

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