Iraq Gunmen Seize 24 People, Killing 20

Local Iraqi shop owners gather around the site of a suicide bomber's attack, Wednesday, July 12, 2006, in Baghdad, Iraq. A suicide bomber blew himself up in a restaurant in Baghdad on Wednesday, killing seven people and wounding 31, police said. (AP Photo/Samir Mizban) (Samir Mizban - AP)

In his speech to parliament, al-Maliki urged his countrymen to unite behind his administration's efforts to stem the bloodshed.

"It is not only the government that should be responsible. You chose the ministers and the prime ministers. You should not stand up and criticize the government," al-Maliki said in an apparent reference to some lawmakers who criticized the government because of the bad security situation.

He also said that insurgents have plans to take control of Karkh, a large swath of western Baghdad that extends north.

"They have intentions to occupy Karkh, but be sure that Iraqi forces are capable of repulsing them and have started striking them," he said.

"The government cannot protect every child and every woman," al-Maliki said. "Military forces will deter anyone who tries to occupy any area."

He added that the government will work on cleaning up the security and armed forces in order "to make them far from political groups and sectarianism."

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Associated Press reporters Qassim Abdul-Zahra, Bushra Juhi, Qais al-Bashir contributed to this report from Baghdad.