Visiting Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki rejected on Wednesday U.S. criticism of his government, saying no one has the responsibility to set a timetable for the Iraqi administration.
Maliki made the remarks at a joint press conference with his Syrian counterpart Mohammad Naji Ottri at the end of his three-day official visit. "The Iraqi government was elected by the Iraqi people. No one has the right to set a timetable for it," he said, referring to U.S. demand for the Iraqi government to achieve political reconciliation among Iraqi factions.
"Maybe those people who made such statements were disturbed by our visit to Syria. These statements do not concern us much. We care for our people and our constitution and can find friends elsewhere," he said. U.S. President George W. Bush said on Tuesday that he noticed "a certain level of frustration with the leadership in general" in Iraq and said Iraqi voters could decide to replace him. |