So Maliki News Today : Breaking News, Live Updates & Top Stories | Vimarsana

>> maliki has spoken to foreign press really for the first time since this hasesquesq escalated. let's play that. >> translator: yes, they did strike inside the syrian side of the border. there was no coordination involved, but we welcome this action. we actually welcome nassirian strike against isis because this group targets both iraq and syria. so we welcome nassirian striantt isis. both countries welcome these actions, but we didn't make any requests from syria. they carry on their strikes and we carry out ours. the final winners are our two countries. >> of course we don't know who the fi...

Remain as prime minister of iraq, do you think? >> well, i think it's hard to say, but that is a bad side for him. sadr is extremely influential. he commands large numbers of shiite people, also shiite militiamen. he's a guy who's got muscle. his followers did a lot of damage, killed a lot of americans when we occupied the country. he's not the only prominent shiite who is essentially saying that maliki can't form and lead a government that's going to stabilize the country. the long-term solution here, and the one that washington wants, is a new iraqi government that brings in the kurds and su...

Place that might exacerbate the sectarian divisions that are already at a heightened level of tension. and so it's very important that nothing take place that contributes to the extremism or could act as a flashpoint with respect to the sectarian divide. >> those comments coming as the syrian government bombed isis strong holds on the iraqi side of the border today. prime minister maliki says he supports the air strikes. meanwhile, iran is sending military supplies and intel assistance to baghdad. maliki's security forces were tested again today when isis militants attacked a university in tik...

Him. and so the problem we had in 2010 was that maliki finally agreed to some things. he had eight sunnis in his cabinet. another six or seven kurds. there wasn't a lack of sunni outreach in that cabinet. the problem was he didn't kind of complete, he didn't go forward with it. he tried to take back some things. so i think this time people have to say, you know, fool me once, shame on you. but this time, we're not going to allow it to happen. so maliki is a tough customer and he should not be underestimated. and let me just say one more thing. he is not the only problem in that country. >> tha...

Point, the iraqi sunnis are going to have to step forward. overall, i think this has been a sort of real get real tour by the secretary, going to egypt, being very clear about the human rights problems, but at the same times, clear about the u.s. desire to have normal relations with the egyptian government. that's a -- that's the right way to go. and then to come into iraq and convey these tough messages. >> and ambassador, you are the perfect person to pose this to since you were there for the first six months of the last government formation process after the iraqi elections in 2010. i guess...