 |
| |
WEEKLY
SECTIONS |
 |
|
 |
| ‘US-era of Iraq dominance is over’ |
|
|
|
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
BAGHDAD: Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki said on Tuesday that the era of US dominance was over, in a broadside to Washington almost six years after the invasion that ousted Saddam Hussein.
The premier, boosted by the strong showing by his allies in provincial elections, said Iraq was now taking charge of its own destiny and was making good progress toward rebuilding the war-torn country.
His remarks were a pointed rebuke to US Vice President Joe Biden, who last week said Washington would have to be ‘more aggressive’ in pushing Baghdad toward faster political reform.
’The time for putting pressure on Iraq is over,’ Maliki told reporters, asked about Biden’s comments.
’The Iraqi government knows what are its responsibilities. We are carrying out reform and we are in the last step of the reconciliation.’ Biden said the January 31 provincial elections in which Maliki’s allies triumphed had shown that progress was being made, but more needed to be done as Iraq’s leaders had not ‘gotten their political arrangements together yet.’
|
|
|
| Back
| Send
this story to Friend | Print
Version |
|
|
|
ISSN 1563-9479 
