US and Iraq seek to heal strains

The link-up follows several days of public disagreement between US and Iraqi officials, who blamed each other for Iraq's deepening crisis.

Mr Maliki said they agreed to speed up training of security forces, to accelerate the handover from US and other forces to the Iraqis.

The meeting follows his remarks on Friday that he was a friend of the US but not America's man in Iraq.

The Iraqi prime minister has blamed the US for the deteriorating security situation, saying they had failed to provide adequate equipment and training to the Iraqi forces.

US officials, meanwhile, have said Mr Maliki was not taking tough enough action against sectarian militias.

'Very happy'

In a joint statement issued after the 50-minute video conference, the two leaders said they were "committed to the partnership" and would work in every way possible for a stable, democratic Iraq.

White House spokesman Tony Snow said there were no strains in the US-Iraq relationship.

"The president is very happy, actually, with the way the prime minister is working," he said.

Mr Bush and Mr Maliki outlined three goals:

• Speeding up the training of Iraq's armed forces

• Moving ahead with Iraq's control of its own forces
• Making the Iraqi government responsible for the country's security

Mr Maliki said a committee had been set up to deal with training, whose members would include the Iraqi defence, interior and security ministers as well as US forces commander Gen George Casey.

The video conference followed a rare joint statement on Friday by Mr Maliki and US ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad, in which they stressed the need to work together to end the bloodshed.

Timetables

Divisions had emerged between the two countries earlier in the week after Mr Khalilzad outlined initiatives to try to stabilise Iraq, including a plan to reform Iraqi security ministries.

He said the Iraqi government had agreed to develop a timeline for progress by the end of the year.

At a joint news conference, the top US military commander in Iraq, Gen George Casey, said Iraqi security forces could be able to assume responsibility for the whole country within 18 months.

Mr Maliki said at a news conference on Wednesday that no-one had the right to impose a timetable on his government.

US involvement in Iraq and the ongoing violence there have become key issues ahead of US mid-term elections, which take place next month.

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