U.S. President George W. Bush on Tuesday reassured Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki of American support despite increasing U.S. public's anger at the war and the sluggish pace of Iraqi progress.
"We're with you, prime minister," Bush told Maliki during a brief public appearance after they met at the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.
This was their first meeting since the Sept. 16 shootout involving the private U.S. security firm Blackwater soured U.S.- Iraq relations.
U.S. national security adviser Stephen Hadley told reporters that the two leaders discussed, among others, the need to protect Iraq's sovereignty.
In response, Maliki said that "the task before us is gigantic," but added that his government will continue making every possible efforts to promote national reconciliation.
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice met with Maliki here on Saturday when they were attending a high-level meeting over Iraq issues at the UN Headquarters in New York.
On Wednesday, Maliki urged the U.S. embassy to replace the private security company Blackwater with a new security company after its guards got involved in a deadly shootout that killed nine Iraqis.
Source: Xinhua
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