Iraqi Leader Says Flow of Arms Must Stop

Prime Minister of Iraq Nouri al-Maliki stands on stage before addressing the 62nd session of the United Nations General Assembly, Wednesday, Sept. 26, 2007, at the U.N. headquarters. (AP Photo/Ed Betz) (Ed Betz - AP)

"Terrorism kills civilians, journalists, actors, thinkers and professionals. It attacks universities, marketplaces and libraries. It blows up mosques and churches and destroys the infrastructure of state institutions," al-Maliki said.

His statements came as a wave of bombings and shootings swept Iraq on Wednesday, killing at least 50 people and raising fears of a new al-Qaida offensive.

Al-Maliki noted the responsibility of Iraq's neighbors in helping stop the violence, saying "the continued overflow of weapons, money, suicide bombers and the spreading of 'fatwas' inciting hatred and murder will only result in disastrous consequences."

Washington has accused Iran of arming and aiding Shiite militias in Iraq that it says have killed hundreds of American troops with powerful bombs known as explosively formed penetrators, or EFPs. The U.S. has also accused Iran of training fighters and sending them into Iraq to attack American and Iraqi troops.

Iran disputes those allegations, saying it does not meddle inside Iraq.

Al-Maliki has been facing mounting criticism, most notably from congressional Democrats, for his inability to take advantage of a reduction in Baghdad violence to pass crucial legislation designed to share power among Sunnis, Shiites and Kurds and help end the insurgency.

President Bush pressed al-Maliki on Tuesday in New York to make progress in this area. A national oil law and other initiatives have stalled in the parliament amid factional bickering.

"Some politicians may be trying to block the law to gain special advantage," Bush said. "And these parties have got to understand that it's in the interests of Iraq to get good law passed."

In his speech, al-Maliki only briefly noted the proposed oil law, saying his government has completed work on it and was awaiting its approval by parliament.

Following al-Maliki's speech, Cuba's foreign minister launched a blistering attack on Bush in response to the U.S. leader's speech the day before in which he envisioned a Cuba without ailing leader Fidel Castro.

"In Cuba, the long rule of a cruel dictator is nearing its end," Bush said. "The Cuban people are ready for their freedom."

Cuban Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque accused Bush of "lying" about his respect for democracy and said he has "no moral authority or credibility to judge anyone."

"He came into office through fraud and deceit. We would have been spared his presence yesterday, and we would have listened to President Al Gore talking about climate change and the risks to our species," the Cuban minister said.

Perez Roque's condemnation of Bush was echoed by other speakers, including Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe, who said his country had been singled out for criticism by the United States and Britain because of his government's resistance to their domination.

"(Bush) imprisons and tortures in Guantanamo, he imprisons and tortures at Abu Ghraib, he has secret torture centers in Europe," Mugabe said.

Bolivia's leftist President Evo Morales also dismissed Bush's criticism of Castro, saying the Cuban leader "sends troops to other countries to save lives, not like the president of the United States who sends troops to take lives."