Iraq's PM slams top US soldier over (Iran bribing Iraq lawmakers) comments

Source: AP

BAGHDAD – Iraq's prime minister slammed America's top military commander in the country on Friday, saying he "risked his position" when he said Iran sought to bribe lawmakers to vote against a U.S.-Iraq security agreement.

Gen. Ray Odierno made the comments in an interview published Monday in the Washington Post, though he said he did not have definitive proof of the bribes.

"The American commander has risked his position when he spoke in this tone and has regrettably complicated relations," Nouri al-Maliki told a group of visiting Kuwaiti journalists in an interview shown on Iraq's state television.

"The man is known to be good and kind, but how can he speak like this about a baseless case? What has been said is truly regrettable," al-Maliki said.

His surprisingly strong worded criticism underlined the touchiness of the issue of relations between Iraqi politicians and Iran. The U.S. accuses Iran of meddling in Iraq's affairs, including arming, training and financing Shiite militants.

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of a sovereign nation such as Iraq.