Iraqi forces are generally seen as capable of containing a stubborn Sunni insurgency tied to al Qaeda and rival Shi'ite militias the U.S. says are backed by neighboring Iran.
But insurgents still carry out almost daily bombings and attacks, many on local security forces or government offices in an attempt to show Maliki is unable to provide stability.
At least 19 people were killed Monday when a suicide bomber attacked a military base in the town of Taji, and another person was killed and three more wounded by a blast in the car park of the Iraqi parliament.
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