Originally published by the Voice of America (www.voanews.com).
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Iraqi Tribal Leaders Gather for Unity Conference
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http://enews.voanews.com/t?r=279&ctl=13AA52F:A6F02AD83191E160717B28CED386FEF69574F7DCC14957C0 Prime Minister
Nouri al-Maliki tells tribal leaders national unity key to
'liberating' Iraq from foreign forces and terrorists 



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Iraq's prime minister Nouri al-Maliki, center, raises hands along with
tribal leaders, during a unity conference in BaghdadIraqi Prime
Minister Nouri al-Maliki hosted the war-torn nation's various tribal
factions at a national unity conference Saturday in Baghdad.

Mr. Maliki told the hundreds of tribal leaders that national unity is
the key to "liberating" Iraq from the presence of foreign forces and
from terrorists.

The prime minister stressed there were no differences between Iraqis,
regardless if they are Sunni, Shi'ite or Christian.

Iraq has been plagued by a wave of sectarian violence between Shi'ites
and Sunni Arabs since the February bombing of a Shi'ite mosque in
Samarra. Nearly 3,500 Iraqi civilians were killed in July, the highest
civilian death toll since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP and AP.


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