President George W. Bush on Tuesday pressed Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to move on stalled measures considered critical to political reconciliation, while al-Maliki made clear his displeasure about the killing of Iraqi civilians by private U.S. security contractors. Meeting for the second time this month, the two leaders used polite diplomatic language to talk publicly about tense issues. After the hour-long meeting in New York City, Bush praised al-Maliki for “your dedication and your commitment” while speaking vaguely about the need for unspecified “political parties in Iraq” to make progress. “Some politicians may be trying to block the law to gain special advantage,” Bush said. “These parties have got to understand that it's in the interests of Iraq to get good law passed.” --MORE
