Nov. 19 (Bloomberg) -- Elections in Iraq scheduled to take place by Jan. 31 may be postponed by continued widespread violence or a coordinated boycott by Sunni Muslims, U.S. and Iraqi officials said.

``I believe we have a good chance of still meeting the target,'' Iraqi Ambassador Samir Shakir Mahmood Sumaidaie told reporters at the United Nations in New York. ``If, however, at the time it is determined that we need a bit more time, then that situation will be reviewed'' by policy makers.

Under Iraq's interim constitution, voters would cast ballots by the end of January for the country's national legislature, which would form a permanent government and write a lasting charter.

U.S. President George W. Bush said in his weekly national radio address Nov. 13 that successful elections in Iraq would be ``a crushing blow'' to terrorists, and ``inspire'' democratic change throughout the Middle East, ultimately making the U.S. more secure.

Security has worsened in Baghdad and the Sunni Triangle up to the northwestern city of Mosul, the official in charge of the Iraq reconstruction office in the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad told reporters gathered at the Pentagon today.

``We're worried that in some areas -- again, not all, in some areas -- it would now be difficult to have elections,'' said Bill Taylor, director of the Iraq Reconstruction Management Office. ``And it's that kind of work that we need to do between now and January so that we can have elections in the entire country.''

Sunni Boycott

Asked about the threat by Sunnis in central Iraq to boycott the election of a 275-member national assembly, Sumaidaie said there might be a delay ``if all the Sunnis act as a group.'' He added that such unity is ``unlikely'' because the Sunni leaders who have threatened the boycott don't represent the entire religious minority of Iraq.

Unrest spread in Iraq just after U.S. and Iraqi forces attacked the insurgent stronghold of Fallujah on Nov. 8.

Mosul Operation

Iraqi soldiers stormed the old section of Mosul today, in an operation that is continuing, to flush out insurgents holed up in Iraq's third-largest city, Captain Angela Bowman, a U.S. military spokesman, said by telephone from Mosul.

Mosul has been the scene of nine days of clashes that have killed at least 20 Iraqi soldiers, and one U.S. soldier, as well as more than 50 guerrillas.

Iraqi commanders cited by Agence France-Presse said the offensive was aimed at a suspected meeting place of rebels inside the city's old quarter. About 400 Iraqi soldiers took part, and 100 U.S. soldiers were stationed nearby in case reinforcements were needed, the news agency reported.

U.S.-backed Iraqi forces stormed a Sunni mosque after Friday prayers in Baghdad, killing at least three people, after the government warned Muslim clerics yesterday against inciting violence, the Associated Press reported. The mosque has long been associated with anti-American activity, AP said.

Taylor said rebuilding efforts are easier in most Iraqi provinces, especially in the Kurdish northeast and the Shiite- dominated south.

The Iraqi envoy, the first to be appointed since the fall of dictator Saddam Hussein's regime in April 2003, said his confidence that elections can be held in January grew after the U.S.-led incursion into insurgent-held Fallujah. UN Secretary- General Kofi Annan's decision to increase the number of the election advisers in Iraq also was a good sign, he said.

Fallujah Outcome

``The position of the Iraqi government is that we should plan on holding the elections on time,'' he said. ``We accept that there continues to be violence in different parts of the country, but the outcome of the recent military operation in Fallujah has been very positive. We clearly have reduced the terrorists' ability to launch an organized campaign. What happens in the next weeks will be important.''

The fight for Fallujah is in its second week. U.S. and Iraqi military commanders said this week the majority-Sunni Muslim city, which lies 40 miles (64 kilometers) west of Baghdad, is under their control.

UN Increase

Sumaidaie said the UN is about to increase its staff in Iraq to about 60 workers, double the number working there in recent months. That should be enough, he said, for the UN to play an important ``supervisory'' role in the elections.

UN spokesman Fred Eckhard said that, while Annan is deploying more people to Iraq, he was ``not aware of any decision by the secretary-general to raise the ceiling further.''

Sumaidaie said he is confident that next week's international conference on Iraq at Sharm el Sheikh in Egypt would also improve the security situation by producing new commitments from Iran and Syria to secure their borders to prevent terrorists from entering.

``I expect the attitude of our neighbors will have a practical influence on the ability of terrorists to infiltrate into Iraq,'' he said. ``I also expect a demonstration of support for the political process and bringing together support from various people who have been at variance, not quite in tune with what has happened in Iraq.''

To contact the reporter of this story: Bill Varner at the United Nations at wvarner@bloomberg.net

Last Updated: November 19, 2004 15:24 EST