Nuri al-Maliki, the Iraqi Prime Minister expressed his discontent on Sunday regarding the criticism coming from French and United States officials, demanding an apology.

French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said al-Maliki and his entire cabinet should be changed after the continuous turmoil shaking the government and the latest flare up of violence.

“We want an official apology from the French government, not (just) the French foreign minister,” the premier reportedly said.

“We received French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner and we were so optimistically pleased with the new French stance, but then he gave statements that can never be up to diplomatic courtesy when he called for changing the (Iraqi) government.”

Al-Maliki did not forget the critics coming from US Senators Carl Levin and Hillary Clinton, who upheld Kouchner’s demands. He said both senators do not know what political struggle is tousling Iraq because they “haven’t experienced in their political lives these kind of differences.”

“Levin and Clinton spoke of Iraq as if it were part of their possessions. They are both Democrats and have to respect the outcome of democracy,” al-Maliki said.

Al-Maliki is facing his biggest challenge since coming to power, with fire coming from different factions and beyond the borders for the unrest that is ravaging the government and country.

Members of the Sadrist Movement and Sunnis pulled out of the cabinet, leaving al-Maliki with little support from Kurds and Shiites. He tried to gain that support back from other blocs, but meetings held in the past period failed to provide a breakthrough and the premier has to deal with renewed criticism.