Al-Maliki slams Levin, Clinton

BAGHDAD – Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki lashed out Sunday at U.S. and French politicians who have called on him to step down, and accused U.S. forces of committing “big mistakes” in killing and detaining civilians in the hunt for insurgents.

In recent days, the embattled leader has come under fire from an array of allies and adversaries who accuse him of failing to unite his Cabinet and put key laws and programs in place.

Al-Maliki trained his angriest words on Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Hillary Clinton, of New York, and her upper house colleague and fellow Democrat, Carl Levin, of Michigan.

At a hastily called news conference after meeting with other Iraqi leaders, al-Maliki dismissed the calls for him to step down as “ugly interference” in Iraq’s domestic affairs.

“There are American officials who consider Iraq as if it were one of their villages, for example Hillary Clinton and Carl Levin,” he told reporters. “They should come to their senses.”

Bush administration officials had hoped al-Maliki could show progress toward at least the most pressing objectives ahead of a report to Congress next month by U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker and Army Gen. David H. Petraeus on the logic of keeping the U.S. troop level at its current 160,000 pinnacle.

None of the benchmarks has been met, and infighting has prevented al-Maliki’s Cabinet from meeting to discuss core issues.