Obama pressures Maliki on Iraq reconciliation

Barack Obama said he pressed Iraq's prime minister to make room in his government and security forces for all ethnic and religious groups to prevent a resurgence of the violence and turmoil that took the country to the verge of civil war.

Vowing to hold to agreements to pull all US forces out of Iraq by the end of 2011, The US president said he and Nouri al Maliki realised violence had not ended, and there "will be some tough days ahead".