UPDATE 1-US general says Iraq attacks no reason to panic

(Adds comments by Iraqi security adviser)

By Alan Elsner

WASHINGTON, April 12 (Reuters) - A recent upsurge in violence in Iraq was the work of small cells and did not signify a major resurgence of anti-government, anti-American forces, the commander of U.S. forces in Iraq said on Sunday.

General Raymond Odierno said on CNN's "State of the Union" that overall violence remained at its lowest level since shortly after the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq.

"Overall violence remains at 2003 lows, however ... there are still some elements that are able to conduct some very serious attacks," Odierno said.

President Barack Obama, who made a surprise visit to Iraq last week, has declared a goal of withdrawing all U.S. combat forces from Iraq by the end of August 2010 and other forces by the end of 2011. But his strategy assumes Iraq staying relatively stable during this period.

Asked how confident he was on a scale from one to 10 that all U.S. forces would be out of Iraq by the end of 2011, Odierno said: "As you ask me today, I believe it's a 10 that we will be gone by 2011."

A roadside bomb killed another American soldier on Sunday. Five U.S. soldiers and two Iraqi policemen died on Friday when a suicide bomber drove a truck loaded with explosives at a police post in the northern city of Mosul.

A suicide bomber killed 12 militiamen at an Iraqi army post south of Baghdad on Saturday. Last week, bombings in Shi'ite areas of Baghdad killed at least 44 people.