Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki on Saturday called for national unity, confirming that U.S. combat troops' withdrawal from Iraqi cities in three days shows that Iraqi security forces can handle security control despite the recent deadly bombings that killed and wounded hundreds of people.

"We need national unity, as they (the insurgents) showed their teeth against us," Maliki said during a gathering in Baghdad, commemorating a Shiite cleric who was killed in a bombing in 2003.

"They want to hit our political process, but we say it will not collapse only if our national unity is not shaken," Maliki said.

U.S. and Iraqi officials said they believe that insurgents would increase their attacks ahead of U.S. troops' withdrawal this month and the parliamentary elections early next year.

"We have a high trust in our security forces that they can control security in the country and pursue al-Qaida remnants and criminal gangs," Maliki said.

He also said the U.S. troops' withdrawal is a "message to the world that our troops are capable of safeguarding Iraq's security and run its internal affairs."

On June 20, Maliki described the day of U.S. troops' pullout a "great victory" and called on Iraqi people to celebrate the event.

"It is a great victory for Iraqis as we are going to take our first step towards ending the foreign presence in Iraq," Maliki said, warning that militant groups will step up attacks to reverse the security gains.

"They (the militant groups) are preparing themselves to move in the dark to destabilize the situation, however, with God's will, I and you will be ready for them," Maliki said.

Violence in Iraq has dropped dramatically in recent months, but deadly attacks are still common in some Iraqi cities, casting doubt on the ability of Iraqi security forces to take over from U.S. troops the task of controlling security and defeating insurgency of both Shiite and Sunni militant groups in the war-torn country.

As part of a security pact signed between Baghdad and Washington last year, U.S. troops will withdraw from Iraq's cities, towns and villages by June 30, 2009 to their bases, and will leave the country by December 31, 2011.

Source:Xinhua