Rice mum on Maliki corruption probe

Washington: US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has vowed to examine corruption charges against Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Al Maliki but refused to discuss details.

In a three-hour hearing, Rice said her office would look into allegations against Maliki as well as "hundreds of reports of corruption" among Iraqi officials.

A former Iraqi judge told a Congress committee earlier this month that Maliki had protected top Iraqi officials, including his relatives, from criminal investigation.

"I am certain that we are tracking these allegations of corruption because … no one is more concerned about allegations of corruption in Iraq than we are," Rice said.

"But to assault the prime minister of Iraq or anyone else in Iraq with here-to-date unsubstantiated allegations … would be deeply damaging," she said.

Representative Henry Waxman, who led the interrogation team, told Rice his concern about Iraqi corruption because "Americans are there fighting to keep Prime Minister Maliki in office."

"We're not fighting to keep Prime Minister Maliki in office," Rice shot back. "We are fighting to help the Iraqis to develop a democratic government.''