By MATT APUZZO and BRIAN MURPHY

Associated Press

BAGHDAD -- Vice President Joe Biden brought Washington's concerns about Iraqi political tensions directly to leaders in Baghdad on Friday, but officials appeared to leave little room for outside mediation over whether to ban hundreds of election candidates for suspected links to Saddam Hussein's regime.

Washington fears the blacklist -- now more than 500 candidates and expected to grow -- could set back reconciliation efforts between the majority Shiites who gained power with Saddam's fall and the Sunnis who hope to regain greater political footing in parliamentary elections on March 7.

Biden's two-day trip underscores the concern by the White House that the growing sectarian tensions could seriously mar the election, which has been seen as an important step in healing Iraq's wartime divides and allowing the Pentagon to accelerate troop withdrawals.

Iraqis reluctant

Iraq, however, appeared reluctant to accept Washington's direct intervention -- another sign that the ability of U.S. officials to influence Iraqi affairs is rapidly fading.

Moments after Biden arrived, Iraq's presidential spokesman, Nasser al-Ani, said Iraq was willing to listen to suggestions on easing the political standoff caused by the blacklist, but he noted: "Nobody can interfere in Iraqi affairs ... Biden or others."

The spokesman for the Shiite-led government, Ali al-Dabbagh, also drew a clear line on outside views over Iraq's efforts to identify and weed out suspected supporters of Saddam's now-outlawed Baath party.

"It is an internal affair that should be discussed by Iraqi political entities," he said.

Biden's national security adviser, Tony Blinken, played down the vice president's role in mediating the dispute and said the vice president did not plan to push for one solution over another.

"It's not for any outsider to tell Iraq how to resolve this issue," Blinken said.