BAGHDAD, Sept. 2 (UPI) -- Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki Sunday claimed his government has stopped a civil war, and said U.S. critics send “messages that encourage terrorism.”
Speaking with reporters in Baghdad, Maliki said U.S. critics of his government do not appreciate the scale of the destruction and sabotage his country has experienced, or the achievements of his government, The Los Angeles Times reported.
"The most important achievement is it stopped a sectarian and civil war," Maliki said.
An increasing number of U.S. political figures have found fault with Maliki’s performance in office. Some -- including Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., a leading candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination, and Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee -- have called for him to step down.
"These statements sometimes go beyond the rational limits,” he said.
However, Maliki said the statements send "messages that encourage terrorism."
