Iraq tribal chiefs sign 'pact of honour' to halt bloodshed

BAGHDAD: The leaders of Iraq's powerful tribes on Saturday signed a solemn "pact of honour" vowing to halt their country's slide into the chaos of sectarian war.     

Amid scenes of celebration at a Baghdad hotel, the chieftains -- who represent clans from across the country and all the major ethnic and religious groups -- promised to support a government-backed peace process.   

Reading the charter, Sheikh Faal Namah said he and his colleagues vowed "to preserve our country, stop bloodletting and displacement among Iraqi people and halt the activities of takfiris (violent Sunni insurgents)".         

The accord will be seen as a boost for Iraq's embattled prime minister, Nuri al-Maliki, who had called on the traditional leaders to support his plans for a broad-based peace initiative which will culiminate in national peace talks.           

Earlier Saturday, insurgents killed at least seven people, including four members of a Shiite family fleeing their home in Baquba after threats, police said.  Seven bullet-riddled corpses were also found in northern Iraq of men killed in apparent sectarian attacks.