In Friday sermons, some Shiite and Sunni clerics condemned the rash of insurgent attacks but also slammed the US-backed Iraqi government and American forces, holding them responsible for the violence because they were unable to improve security in the country 2 1/2 years after the invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein. Sheikh Abdul-Zahraa Al-Suwaidi, a Shiite, said the violence had tarnished the image of Islam and Muslims. He said, however, that the continued presence of 140,000 US troops was fueling sectarian tension. âYou have to know that Iraq will gain its security if the occupation troops leave this country,â Suwaidi told worshippers in Baghdadâs Risafaa district.