From AFP: Iraq resolute in the face of terror, sectarian bloodshed: Maliki.
Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki vowed to remain resolute in the face of violent sectarianism ripping apart his country, calling Iraq the "front line" in the war against terror.The Iraqi leader cast the ongoing sectarian violence raging across his country as an internecine Islamic religious battle.
"This is a battle between two Islams -- for which a person's liberty and rights constitute essential cornerstones -- and terrorism, which wraps itself in a fake Islamic cloak," he told a joint session of the US Congress.
"Iraq is the front line in this struggle, and history will prove that the sacrifices of Iraqis for freedom will not be in vain," he said.
"We faced tyranny and oppression under the former regime, and we now face a different kind of terror. We did not bow then, and we will not bow now," he vowed.
Maliki has faced growing doubts among some lawmakers about his leadership.
The Iraqi leader came in for sustained congressional criticism Tuesday over his recent remarks regarding Israel's bombing raids in Lebanon. After Maliki condemned "Israel aggression" in Lebanon, lawmakers called for a "clarification" from the Iraqi leader before he speaks to Congress.
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Posted by Forkum at July 31, 2006 07:50 PM
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