(Agencies)
Updated: 2008-03-03 09:42

"Such accusations increase the problems of the Americans in the region," he said.

Al-Maliki said Ahmadinejad's visit was "an expression of the strong desire of enhancing relations and developing mutual interests after the past tension during the dictatorship era."

About 1 million people died in the catastrophic war that erupted after Saddam invaded Iran in 1980. But when Saddam's regime fell to the US-led invasion and Iraq's Shiite majority took power, long-standing ties between the Shiites of both countries flourished again.

Ahmadinejad said he was "very pleased with his visit to an Iraq not ruled by a dictator," and stressed that Iran wanted a stable Iraq that would benefit the region.

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"A united Iraq, a sovereign Iraq and an advanced Iraq is to the benefit of all regional nations and the people of Iran," he said.

He announced the dates of his visit in advance, landed at Baghdad International Airport in daylight and drove through the capital, albeit in a heavily guarded convoy, on a relatively quiet day. Iraqi forces provided security.

President Bush's visits are typically a surprise and involve trips to US military bases, like his journey to an air base in Anbar province last September.

Bush said Saturday that he had advised al-Maliki to tell the Iranian leader to "quit sending in sophisticated equipment that's killing our citizens." And the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. Mike Mullen, came to Baghdad unannounced to visit with commanders and Iraqi officials.

Rear Adm. Gregory Smith, a military spokesman, said Sunday that the US hopes the Iranian-Iraqi meetings produce "real and tangible results," which in the American view would include Iran ending its alleged training and funding of extremists.

Iraqi officials have said in recent weeks that they don't want the country torn apart in a power struggle between the US and Iran.

Hundreds of protesters gathered in Fallujah, the scene of two battles between US troops and Sunni insurgents, and demonstrated for an hour against Ahmadinejad's visit.

"The chieftains of Fallujah condemn the visit of Ahmadinejad to Baghdad," one of their banners read. Another 50 people demonstrated against the visit in northern Kirkuk, and tribal chieftains in the country's Shiite-dominated southern region signed a petition against the visit.

Adnan al-Dulaimi, one of Iraq's most influential Sunni politicians, called for restraint. He said the visit indicated the strong Iranian influence in Iraq but hoped it would decrease tension between the two countries.

"We call upon the United States and Iran not to make Iraq a field for their struggle," he said.

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