Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki told lawmakers Monday that Iraqi forces were not ready to take over security from the U.S. military across the country. «We still need more efforts and time in order for our armed forces to be able to take over security in all Iraqi provinces from the coalition forces that helped us in a great way in fighting terrorism,» he told parliament. Al-Maliki made the comment hours before the U.S. ambassador to Iraq, Ryan Crocker, and top U.S. commander Gen. David Petraeus were to appear in the U.S. Congress to deliver reports on Iraq's progress amid a debate over calls to start bringing American troops home. The two were widely expected to maintain that this year's troop buildup has reduced violent attacks in Baghdad and argue for more time to restore security, the Associated Press reported. Al-Maliki said that violence had dropped 75 percent in the Baghdad area since the U.S. began pouring in additional troops at the start of the year. He gave no figures. «The key to reconstruction, economic development and improving peoples' standard of living is security,» he said. «We have achieved success in preventing Iraq from going into sectarian war and I am fully confident that national reconciliation is our only way that takes Iraq into safety,» al-Maliki said.
