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KUWAIT CITY -- Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said in remarks published Sunday that losing the fight against terrorism would mean the end of Iraq as a country.

Al-Maliki also told the independent Kuwaiti daily, Al-Qabas, that his government knows "terrorists are infiltrating from Afghanistan to Iraq through Iran." He said that although he was not "blaming the Iranian government for that, we call on it to control its borders."

Al-Maliki, who took over in May, spoke to the newspaper in Baghdad before leaving for a Gulf tour that started with a visit to Saudi Arabia on Saturday. He also is scheduled to visit the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait.

"I would like to stress that if we fail in the battle against terrorism, there will be no Iraq left," al-Maliki said. "This is why all those keen on the unity of this country have to support our government. It is the last chance."

The prime minister, a Shiite, recently announced a reconciliation plan for his country that would offer amnesty to mostly Sunni insurgents who were not involved in terrorism or war crimes and who agree to renounce violence.

Al-Maliki's tour aims to drum up support from Sunni Arab leaders for his reconciliation plan and his new unity government of Shiites, Sunnis and Kurds.

He met Saturday night with Saudi King Abdullah and Crown Prince Sultan, who expressed their support for his government, according to the official Saudi news agency.

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Iraq's Arab neighbors in the Gulf fear sectarian tensions could spill over into their countries, which are dominated by Sunnis but have Shiite communities.

The June 7 killing of al-Qaida in Iraq leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi buoyed hopes violence would subside in Iraq. But more than 700 Iraqi civilians and security forces have been killed in attacks since his death, according to Associated Press figures.

© 2006 Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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