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Al Maliki gives insurgents ultimatum

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Baghdad, 05 March 2007 (Gulf News)
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Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki gave Iraqi insurgents an ultimatum on Sunday - either accept his peace offer, or face a crack-down the likes of which has not been seen before.

"We do not need to implement security measures except against those who reject the language of reconciliation and dialogue, those who insist on restoring the past," Al Maliki said, in a reference to Sunni Arab insurgents loyal to Saddam Hussein.

"We present in our hand a green olive branch, and in the other hand we present the law ... Operation Imposing Law started in Baghdad, it will cover every inch of Iraq."

In a later news conference, Al Maliki said he will soon reshuffle his government. Al Maliki told reporters he would rearrange the 39 cabinet portfolios within the next two weeks.

The planned move comes after the Iraqi National List, a secular party representing both Sunnis and Shiites, threatened to pull out of the coalition, accusing Al Maliki of pursuing a sectarian agenda.

US officials have also been putting pressure on Al Maliki to reform the Iraqi government around a new alliance of “moderates” from both the Shiite and Sunni communities.