BAGHDAD, Oct 28: Iraq’s Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki on Friday warned ‘I’m not America’s man in Iraq’, an aide said.

Hassen Sunaid, a senior adviser to the Iraqi leader, said Mr Maliki met the US ambassador to Iraq, Zalmay Khalilzad, to smooth ruffles in the close working relationship between the two administrations after a week of testy exchanges and diplomatic mis-steps.

The prime minister told the envoy: “I consider myself a friend of the United States, but I’m not America’s man in Iraq”, according to Sunaid, who talked to Mr Maliki shortly after the meeting.

Mr Maliki fell out publicly with his main ally this week after US officials appeared to try to bump him into accepting a timetable of political reforms designed to placate Iraq’s warring parties and to end sectarian fighting.

The furious Iraqi leader insisted that no outside power could decide the agenda of his government, though he confirmed that he had his own plan to disarm illegal militias and kick-start a peace process.

After the meeting with Mr Khalilzad, the pair later released a rare joint statement which tried to paper over the cracks in their alliance, but not before Mr Maliki had spoken firmly to the US envoy.

Mr Sunaid quoted the prime minister as telling Mr Khalilzad: “I am elected by a people and a parliament. Security should be coordinated with me. Decisions should not be unilateral.”

“Prime Minister Maliki rejected any decision about a timetable that does not take into account the objective circumstances in Iraq,” Mr Sunaid said.

Mr Maliki and the United States do not see eye-to-eye on the peace process, with the Iraqi leader more keen than Washington to draw Shia militia leaders such as radical cleric Moqtada al-Sadr into a peace process.

The joint statement issued by Mr Maliki and Mr Khalilzad said: “The Iraqi government has made clear the issues that must be resolved with timelines for them to take positive steps forward on behalf of the Iraqi people.”

“The United States fully supports their goals and will help make them a success,” it added. —AFP