In turnabout, Iraq seeking new counterterror aid from US 2 years after troop withdrawal

Iraq's Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, center, walks with the House Foreign Affairs Committee ranking Democrat Rep. Eliot Engel, D-N.Y., right, and the committee's chairman Rep. Ed Royce, R-Calif., on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2013, before their meeting. Earlier, the prime minister met with Vice President Joe Biden. (AP Photo/Molly Riley) (The Associated Press)

Iraq's Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki listens during a meeting with House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Rep. Ed Royce, R-Calif., and the committee's ranking Democrat Rep. Eliot Engel, D-N.Y., Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2013, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Molly Riley) (The Associated Press)

Iraq's Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, left, talks with House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Rep. Ed Royce, R-Calif., right, during a luncheon meeting on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2013. (AP Photo/Molly Riley) (The Associated Press)

A bloody resurgence of al-Qaida in Iraq is prompting Baghdad to ask the U.S. for more weapons, training and manpower, two years after pushing American troops out of the country.

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki will talk about Iraq's plight during a public speech Thursday at the U.S. Institute for Peace in Washington.

Al-Maliki is expected to discuss the request for U.S. aid with President Barack Obama on Friday. Baghdad is hoping the meeting will mark a fresh start in a complicated relationship.

The Iraqi ambassador to the U.S, Lukman Faily, tells The Associated Press that Iraqi officials know they have major challenges in bringing their own capabilities up to standard. He says Iraq needs to gear up to deal with the terrorist threat more seriously, and needs help.