He said he had not been consulted and insisted "that it will not be repeated." Reports say that at least four people were killed in the operation in Sadr City, a stronghold of a radical Shi'ite militia.
Maliki also criticized U.S. military and diplomatic representatives for their comments on October 24, when U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad said Iraq needed a timetable to curb violence in the country.
(AP, AFP)