Skip to main content

Iraqi PM Calls for National Unity Following Deadly Bombings

By VOA News
27 June 2009

Iraq's Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki speaks at a ceremony marking the 2003 death of Mohammed Baqir al-Hakim in Baghdad, Iraq, 27 Jun 2009
Iraq's Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki speaks at a ceremony marking the 2003 death of Mohammed Baqir al-Hakim in Baghdad, Iraq, 27 Jun 2009
Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has called for national unity, following a spate of deadly bombings just days before U.S. forces are set to withdraw from Iraqi cities.

Mr. Maliki said political reconciliation between Iraq's Sunni and Shi'ite Muslim groups is necessary to ensure stability in the country.

The Iraqi prime minister also reiterated Iraqi forces were fully capable of taking over security responsibilities when U.S. forces pull out of urban areas by June 30.

The comments echo that of U.S. President Barack Obama who said Friday the overall security situation in Iraq has improved, despite recent violence.

Friday, at least 16 people were killed in two separate attacks in Baghdad. Earlier this week, at least 76 people were killed in an explosion at a market in the capital's mostly Shi'ite district of Sadr City. A truck bombing last Saturday near Kirkuk killed nearly 70 people.

Separately, the U.S. military released a key aide to anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr late Friday.

Abdul-Hadi al-Daraji was arrested in January 2007 at a mosque in Baghdad's eastern Shiite district of Baladiyat.


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


source: http://www.voanews.com/
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Qory Sandioriva: The new Putri Indonesia

The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Fri, 10/16/2009 10:42 AM | People Courtesy of Waspada Online The criticism she has received for “misrepresenting” her home province of Aceh has failed to discourage newly crowned Putri Indonesia 2009 Qory Sandioriva. Qory, the first woman representing the strongly Islamic region of Aceh to win the title, made no apology for publicly rejecting the jilbab or Muslim headscarf during the pageant’s final night in Jakarta, playing it down as a “misunderstanding”. “Perhaps it was a mistake to make such a statement, but honestly I have never worn a jilbab all my life,” the 18-year-old French literature student from the University of Indonesia told Waspada Online during a visit to Medan, North Sumatra, a few days after her win. Her responses to the judges’ questions have upset many people, particularly religious leaders in her home province. In the contest’s final stage, she was asked why she was not wearing a headscarf like previous contestan
Post a Comment
Read more

Massive Pendet

   Massive Pendet: Around 1,650 dancers of Balinese Pendet from kindergartens to senior high schools perform during an opening ceremony of the 23rd National Science Week for University Students at Ngurah Rai stadium in Denpasar on Wednesday. About 113 universities nationwide take part in the event, which will last until Saturday. The massive Pendet dancing managed to break a national record (MURI). JP/Stanny Angga
Post a Comment
Read more