U.S. welcomes Iraqi leader's commitment to halt violence

The United States welcomed on Saturday commitment by Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki to bringing militias and insurgents under control and halting the violence.

"We're encouraged by Prime Minister Maliki's speech this morning in Baghdad," National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe said in a statement.

Addressing a national reconciliation conference aimed at curbing sectarian violence, Maliki called on all officers of former leader Saddam Hussein's disbanded army to join the new army.

"The door of the new army is open for members of the former army, officers and soldiers, and the government is prepared to contain all those who have the desire to serve the nation," Maliki said.

Maliki also called on Iraq's parliament to review the controversial deBaathification law to help preserve rights of families of Baathists who served in Saddam's government and lost their jobs after the U.S.-led invasion.

The law bans former members of Saddam's Baath party from any role in public offices and the military, which has been complained by the country's Sunnis.

Source: Xinhua