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August 26, 2007

Iraq's Maliki Lashes Out at US, French Critics
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http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=18FD219:A6F02AD83191E16077C3A5DF5C2EDF749574F7DCC14957C0 Prime Minister
Nouri al-Maliki says Senators Hillary Rodham Clinton and Carl Levin
talk about Iraq as if it were their property





Iraqi PM Nouri al-Maliki delivers a speech during an opening ceremony
for the Government Media Center in Baghdad, 26 Aug 2007  Iraqi Prime
Minister Nouri al-Maliki has angrily rebuked U.S. politicians who are
calling for his removal from office.

At a news conference in Baghdad Sunday, Mr. Maliki said Senators
Hillary Rodham Clinton and Carl Levin of the Democratic Party need to
"come to their senses." He says the two politicians talk about Iraq as
if it were their property.

Mr. Maliki also criticized the U.S. military for killing civilians
during recent raids against militants in Shi'ite areas of Baghdad.

He says it is unacceptable for U.S. forces to, in his words, "kill 10
innocent people" when they try to detain a suspected terrorist.

U.S. forces often target Shi'ite militants in Baghdad's Sadr City
district. Iraqi officials often report civilians killed in the raids.

Mr. Maliki also demanded an apology from France today after Foreign
Minister Bernard Kouchner was quoted in a U.S. magazine as saying the
Iraqi prime minister should be ousted.

In the interview with Newsweek, Kouchner says he recently told his
American counterpart, Condoleezza Rice, that Mr. Maliki has "got to be
replaced." He says the Iraqi government is "not functioning."

Kouchner says he believes Iraq's Shi'ite Vice President, Adil
Abdul-Mahdi would be a good replacement as prime minister.

But, Kouchner says he is unsure if such a change will happen because
of President Bush's support for Mr. Maliki.

In another development, the U.S. military says coalition forces killed
11 suspected terrorists and detained six others in operations Sunday
against al-Qaida militants in central and northern Iraq.

Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of Iraqi Shi'ites are converging on
Iraq's holy city of Karbala for a major religious festival. Iraqi
officials have banned vehicles from roads along the pilgrimage route
to prevent sectarian attacks.

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


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