IRAQ: Iraqi prime minister Nouri al-Maliki has told the United States Congress that Iraq is in the frontline of the "war on terror" and urged the US not to withdraw its forces until his government can take control of security.
An anti-war protester briefly interrupted Mr Maliki's address to a joint meeting of Congress, but the prime minister received a standing ovation from congressmen.
"I know some of you question whether Iraq is part of the war on terror. Let me be very clear. Let me be very clear. This is a battle between true Islam, for which a person's liberty and rights constitute essential cornerstones, and terrorism, which wraps itself in a fake Islamic cloak," he said.
Some Democrats had threatened to boycott Mr Maliki's address in protest against his remarks condemning Israel's bombardment of Lebanon and his failure to condemn Hizbullah. After a private meeting between Mr Maliki and Democratic leaders, almost all Democrats attended the speech and joined in the standing ovation.
Mr Maliki told Congress that US forces were helping Iraq to emerge from dictatorship and to build a liberal democracy.
"Thank you for your continued resolve in helping us fight the terrorists plaguing Iraq, which is a struggle to defend our nascent democracy and our people, who aspire to liberty, democracy, human rights and the rule of law," he said.
President George Bush announced this week that some of the 127,000 US soldiers in Iraq would be redeployed to Baghdad in an effort to crush sectarian violence that is claiming up to 100 lives a day.
Mr Maliki said that Iraq would be a graveyard for terrorists because the Iraqi people were determined to establish democracy.
"They have stated over and over again, with the ink-stained fingers waving in pride, they will always make the same choice," he said.
Mr Maliki last week denounced Israel's actions in Lebanon, calling on Arab countries to "take quick action to stop the Israeli aggression". The Iraqi parliament called Israel's actions "criminal aggression" and voted unanimously to condemn them.
Iraqi parliament speaker Mahmoud al-Mashhadani said that "a Jew and the son of a Jew" were those responsible for acts of violence in Iraq.
Senate Democrats wrote to Mr Maliki asking him to clarify his position on Hizbullah and Israel, expressing concern that he may support Hizbullah in the conflict.
"The American people have given so much in the name of fighting global terror and helping build a better future for the people of Iraq . . . Americans deserve to know whether Iraq is an ally in these fights," wrote Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid and Senators Dick Durbin and Charles Schumer.
