Baghdad ? Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki lashed out Sunday at U.S. and French politicians who have called on him to step down and accused U.S. forces of committing “big mistakes” in killing and detaining civilians in the hunt for insurgents.

It was the second outburst from the embattled leader in recent days as he has come under fire from an array of allies and adversaries who accuse him of failing to unite his Cabinet and put key laws and programs in place. On Sunday, he drew fresh criticism from two influential congressional Republicans.

Al-Maliki trained his angriest words on Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York and her upper house colleague and fellow Democrat Carl Levin of Michigan.

At a hastily called news conference after meeting with other Iraqi leaders, al-Maliki dismissed the calls for him to step down as “ugly interference” in Iraq’s domestic affairs.

“There are American officials who consider Iraq as if it were one of their villages, for example Hillary Clinton and Carl Levin,” he told reporters. “They should come to their senses.”