Iraq's Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki lashed out yesterday at US
Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton who had called for
him to be replaced and criticized the US military for killing
civilians.
"There are American officials who consider Iraq as if it were
one of their villages, for example Hillary Clinton and Carl Levin,"
Maliki told a news conference.
"This is severe interference in our domestic affairs. Carl Levin
and Hillary Clinton are from the Democratic Party and they must
demonstrate democracy," he said. "I ask them to come to their
senses and to talk in a respectful way about Iraq."
Clinton, a leading candidate to succeed George W. Bush as
president, joined Levin, the head of the Senate's Armed Services
Committee, in calling last week for Iraq's parliament to replace
Maliki for failing to reconcile warring sects.
Maliki also criticized the US military for killing civilians
during raids in Shi'ite neighborhoods in Baghdad, which have
provoked demonstrations by mourners and condemnation from Shi'ite
groups.
"We have said this many times before. When you want to arrest
someone it is not acceptable to go there and kill another 10
innocent people or destroy houses. These are violations."
Washington's relations with Maliki have frayed in recent weeks,
although Bush says he backs him.
On Tuesday the US Ambassador in Baghdad, Ryan Crocker, called
Maliki's government's progress "extremely disappointing". But the
following day Bush said: "Prime Minister Maliki is a good guy, a
good man, with a difficult job and I support him."
US policy toward Iraq could reach a turning point when Crocker
and the US commander in Iraq, General David Petraeus, give a
progress report.
US officials say security is improving somewhat after they
dispatched 30,000 extra troops this year, but political
reconciliation has stalled.
(Xinhua News Agency August 27, 2007)
