Maliki rejects Arab conditions on support for his government

Maliki with Iranian president Ahmadinejad in December. Sunni Arab states are suspiscious of Iraq's ties with Shia Persian Iran.

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki on Monday rejected Arab conditions for backing his government's efforts to stabilize the violence-torn nation and accused some Arab countries of still harboring terrorists who infiltrate into Iraq...

"We welcome consultations but we won't accept conditions or dictation," al-Maliki said Monday in an interview with a group of journalists, including the Associated Press.

The Sunni-led governments of the Arab world have long been suspicious of Iraq's new Shiite leadership, blaming it for fueling violence by discriminating against Sunni and accusing it of helping mainly Shiite Iran extend its influence in the Middle East. They also demanded that the Baghdad government accelerate building its armed forces to facilitate withdrawal of the foreign forces.

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