Sep 16, 2009, 21:32 GMT
Baghdad - More rockets fell Wednesday night near Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone, soon after US Vice President Joe Biden concluded his meeting with Iraqi Vice President Nuri al-Maliki.
Police told the German Press Agency dpa that one rocket landed near the Babil Hotel in the neighbourhood of Jabariya, directly across the Tigris river from the Green Zone, wounding two people.
Press reports earlier spoke of a second rocket landing within the Green Zone, but police could not confirm those reports to dpa.
It was the second such attack in as many nights after Biden landed Tuesday evening in the Iraqi capital.
Iraqi police said that two people died and five were wounded in Tuesday's rocket attacks. The Mujahidine Army insurgent group claimed responsibility, calling the rocket attacks a 'reception' for Biden, according to Washington's SITE Intelligence Group.
Al-Maliki and Biden made no reference to Tuesday's rocket attacks after their meeting on Wednesday.
'As the terrorist bombings on August 19 so vividly demonstrated, the enemies of national unity in Iraq are ready to murder innocent civilians as they attempt to re-ignite sectarian conflict,' Biden said.
'We are confident - we are confident - the terrorists will fail,' Biden said, referring to a series of 10 bomb blasts in Baghdad that on August 19 left at least 95 people dead, more than 1,200 wounded and destroyed much of the ministries of Foreign Affairs and Finance.
Al-Maliki likewise condemned insurgent attacks, which he said threatened 'international security and peace.'
He and Biden 'focused on all the aspects of cooperation - economic, political, cultural, scientific and commercial - and the ways to foster and to support further the political process, this political process that has cemented the democracy in Iraq,' al-Maliki said.
Al-Maliki stressed the importance of an investment conference scheduled for October in Washington, and said he was asking Iraqi ministries to draw up lists of contracts that might be open to international investors. He said that had discussed with Biden 'how to advance the various legislative reform needed with regard to investments.'
Throughout his meetings on Wednesday, exchanging gifts and joking with Iraqi officials, Biden appeared unfazed by the lethal rocket attacks that had greeted his arrival in Baghdad the night before.
'You can't get rid of me,' Biden joked when meeting his Iraqi counterpart, Adil Abdel-Mahdi. 'I just keep coming back, coming back.'
This is the US vice president's third visit this year to Iraq, following trips in January and July.
Earlier Wednesday, Biden met with Sunni politicians Ayad al- Samarrai, speaker of the parliament, Rafi al-Issawi, a deputy prime minister, and Sunni Vice-President Tariq al-Hashemi.
At each brief meeting, the US vice president greeted the Iraqi officials warmly, with traditional kisses on each cheek, and giving each a crystal bowl engraved with his signature, according to a reporter who is traveling with him.
In exchange, he received a golden statue of a palm tree, according to the pool report.
Biden on Tuesday night told reporters he had 'a personal relationship' with Iraqi leaders, and that he had 'won a measure of trust' from them.
Following his meeting with Biden, al-Samarrai said that Iraq remained interested in 'building international support for the state, the democratic process, and in addressing all outstanding issues.'
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