Iraqi PM criticises timing of Wikileaks disclosure

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Iraq's prime minister has criticised the timing of the release by Wikileaks of almost 400,000 secret US military documents about the conflict there, reports BBC.
Nouri Maliki's office accused it of trying to sabotage his bid to form a new government by making allegations he was linked to Shia death squads. Mr Maliki is struggling to keep his job after inconclusive elections in March.
In a strongly worded statement, Mr Maliki's office angrily rebutted suggestions that forces under his control acted as death squads.
Allegations of links to death squads - responsible for the worst of Iraq's sectarian carnage from in 2006-2007 - were largely promoted by Arabic TV network al-Jazeera, our correspondent Jim Muir reports from Baghdad.
Mr Maliki's office said Iraqi security forces observed the rule of law and did not act out of sectarian considerations.
The statement dismissed the Wikileaks outpourings as "media games and bubbles motivated by known political goals".
The founder of Wikileaks, Julian Assange, said the records showed there had been "a bloodbath on every corner" and provided evidence of war crimes.