Meanwhile in Iraq, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki lashed out at his U.S. critics on Wednesday during a stop in Syria. Al-Maliki said U.S. politicians have no right to impose timetables on his elected government and that his country can find friends elsewhere. Al-Maliki’s comments came two days after Senator Carl Levin called for his ouster.

Nouri al-Maliki: “We do suffer from such comments. However, they often reflect a certain discomfort. Maybe this person who made the statement yesterday is upset by the nature of our visit to Syria because of his ulterior motives. These statements do not concern us a lot. What concerns us is our democratic experiment and adhering to the constitution. We will find many in the region and around the world who will support us in our endeavor.”

On Wednesday, Senator Hillary Clinton joined Levin in calling for Maliki to be removed from office. Clinton said, “I share Senator Levin’s hope that the Iraqi parliament will replace Prime Minister Maliki with a less divisive and more unifying figure when it returns in a few weeks.”