Iraqi PM vows ‘maximum force’ as bombs kill 19

Police said the casualty figures included police and civilians but did not give details.

The tough-talking Shi’ite Islamist, briefing reporters after the cabinet meeting, said however that his government would hold out the offer of dialogue to insurgents that lay down weapons.

He vowed to reimpose the state’s monopoly on the armed forces, cracking down on militias. ‘‘We will use maximum force against terrorism, but we also need a national initiative,’’ he said. An Arab League national reconciliation meeting is due to take place next month in Baghdad. ‘‘Weapons should only be allowed in the hands of the government not militias,” Maliki added.