BAGHDAD, April 14 (Reuters) - The political movement of Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr was on the verge of withdrawing from the Iraqi government because of Baghdad's close ties to Washington, a senior official in the movement said on Saturday.

Abdul-Mehdi al-Muteyri said Sadr's movement, which has six ministers in cabinet including those for health and agriculture, would not remain in a government which he said constantly defended the U.S. occupation.

"Our withdrawal from the government is now inevitable and might take place in a matter of days," he said.

"If there is no change from the government and its policy of appeasement for the occupation, then we will go ahead," Muteyri told Reuters.

Sadr's movement holds a quarter of parliamentary seats in Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's Shi'ite Alliance and has several times threatened to withdraw its support from the government.

The political movement of the anti-American cleric, who led two uprisings against U.S. forces in 2004, has threatened to pull out of the government to press their case for a timetable on the withdrawal of U.S. forces.

Sadrists also refused to apologise after Kurdish President Jalal Talabani condemned a protest where Iraqis burnt a U.S. flag.

A government spokesman was not available for comment but Iraqi officials are keen to keep the powerful group inside the political process.

They want to avoid a confrontation between Sadr's Mehdi Army militia and U.S. forces that could threaten early gains made in a U.S.-led security clampdown.

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