Originally published by the Voice of America (www.voanews.com).
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Iraqi PM Vows to Crack Down on Illegal Militias
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http://enews.voanews.com/t?r=279&c=664774&l=1009&ctl=148C7EA:A6F02AD83191E160DFDD4CC2884C5DE09574F7DCC14957C0 But Nouri
al-Maliki rejected suggestions by US officials of a timetable for
curbing violence





Nouri al-Maliki

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has again promised to crack down
on illegal militias, but rejected suggestions by U.S. officials of a
timetable for curbing violence.

Speaking to reporters a day after U.S. officials said Mr. Maliki had
agreed to a timetable, the prime minister said no outside power can
impose deadlines on Iraq's government.

The prime minister also said he was not consulted about a new U.S.
raid on the Shi'ite militia stronghold of Sadr City in Baghdad. U.S.
and Iraqi forces, backed by American airpower, raided the neighborhood
in search of a top militia death-squad leader.

Iraqi officials said at least four people were killed and 18 others
wounded in the violence.

Mr. Maliki said Iraqi officials will demand "clarification" from
multi-national forces about the operation.

The Iraqi and U.S. forces entered the Sadr City neighborhood before
dawn but soon came under fire, and said they called in airstrikes to
protect themselves.

A U.S. military statement says the raid was authorized by the Iraqi
government, but it does not say if the alleged death squad leader was
captured.

Also Wednesday, the U.S. military said a car bomb blast in the city of
Husaybah near the Syrian border killed several people.

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


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