The United States continues to back Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki despite low marks for political progress in an interim report released by the White House recently, the top US security advisor said Sunday.

Stephen Hadley, national security advisor, told Fox News that al- Maliki was emerging as a strong leader for a "nonsectarian agenda" in Iraq.

That evaluation contrasted with remarks in a leaked memo late in 2006 where Hadley raised major concerns about al-Maliki's capabilities.

Hadley said Sunday he had revised his view of the Iraqi leader.

"The president talks to Mr Maliki every other week," Hadley said.

Al-Maliki on Saturday gave his first reaction to the interim progress report released Thursday in Washington, which showed his government had failed to make progress on political reconciliation between the Shias, Sunnis and Kurds.

The report also showed that the Iraqi government had failed to make progress on an equitable oil revenue distribution formula, on protecting security forces from political interference and on a number of other issues.

"We say with confidence that we are capable, God willing, of taking full responsibility for the security file if the international forces withdraw in any time they wish," al-Maliki was quoted as saying in Baghdad by US media.

DPA

Güncelleme Tarihi: 15 Temmuz 2007, 18:04