Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki on Wednesday called for a dialogue with rival blocs to gauge whether or not American forces currently in Iraq should stay beyond a year-end deadline for their pullout.
Maliki's comments reiterate remarks he made on April 26. "The decision about the US withdrawal is a huge national task, so I will call all the blocs' leaders to have a dialogue to say whether they want to keep the forces or not," Maliki told a news conference in Baghdad. "After that, the government will decide on keeping them, or making them leave." Maliki said according to AFP.
Maliki warned last month that Iraq was lacking when it comes to protecting its borders.
