NEW YORK – President Bush pressed Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki on Tuesday to move on stalled measures deemed critical to political reconciliation, while al-Maliki made clear his unhappiness about the killing of Iraqi civilians by private U.S. security contractors.

Meeting face to face for the second time this month, the two leaders used polite diplomatic language to talk publicly about tense issues. It was a sign of how little room each has to maneuver: The Iraqi prime minister owes his still-tenuous political survival in large part to staunch White House support, and Bush, even if dissatisfied with al-Maliki’s leadership in some areas, recognizes there is virtually no alternative to replace him.

Bush is under tremendous pressure from congressional Democrats and Republicans alike to show that his loyalty to al-Maliki is justified, given the Iraqi’s slow progress in bringing rival sects together to lessen fighting and meet benchmarks set by Washington. So after their hourlong meeting, the president praised al-Maliki for “your dedication and your commitment” while speaking vaguely – though pointedly – about the need for unspecified “political parties in Iraq” to make strides.

“Some politicians may be trying to block the law to gain special advantage,” said Bush, who also met with al-Maliki in Iraq on Labor Day. “And these parties have got to understand that it’s in the interests of Iraq to get good law passed.”

Much-delayed action, such as a national oil law, have stalled in the Iraqi parliament amid factional bickering and, in some cases, defections.

Bush also underscored Iraq’s obligation to beef up security forces. “I assured him we want his security forces well-trained, mobile and capable of handling Iraqi security on their own,” said Bush, who in January had said Iraq would be able to handle security in all 18 provinces by November.

Al-Maliki defended his government’s performance while saying “the task before us is gigantic.”

The prime minister brought up his own deep frustration about Blackwater USA, a private contractor whose security guards are blamed for killing 11 Iraqi civilians while escorting a diplomatic convoy in Baghdad.

Blackwater, which protects State Department personnel in Iraq, said its employees acted appropriately. While offering sympathy, Bush has said he will withhold judgment during the ongoing investigation.

Al-Maliki did not specifically mention the situation when he appeared publicly with Bush, saying only that they “talked about the importance of mutual respect between our two sides.”

Later, Bush’s national security adviser, Stephen Hadley, said al-Maliki said behind closed doors that Iraqi sovereignty must be respected. The two agreed there should be “better cooperation and coordination in these operations,” and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice followed with a more detailed discussion with the prime minister, Hadley said.

A senior Iraqi official said Bush asked al-Maliki to provide him with a list of similar suspected violations and noted that the United States has held accountable those responsible for the Abu Ghraib prison scandal.

Earlier Tuesday, Bush delivered his annual address to the U.N. General Assembly.

The president mentioned Iraq only in passing, lumping it with Afghanistan and Lebanon and saying that “every civilized nation has a responsibility to stand with” the people of those three countries nurturing new democracies.

He spoke out in detail against what he termed repressive regimes in Zimbabwe, Sudan, Cuba – prompting that country’s foreign minister to walk out in protest – and, especially, Myanmar, a Southeast Asian country also known as Burma that is ruled by a military dictatorship.

Declaring that “Americans are outraged by the situation in Burma” and accusing the dictatorship of a “19-year reign of fear,” Bush said the United States would tighten economic sanctions on the leaders of the regime and their financial backers and impose an expanded travel ban that applies not only to people responsible for human rights violations but also their family members.

Rice plans to raise the question of Myanmar on Thursday when she sees her colleagues from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

The president appeared determined not to give ammunition to those who make the annual international gathering a debate of sorts between Bush and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Bush brought up Iran only as one of several briefly listed countries – including Belarus, North Korea and Syria – that deny basic freedoms.

Outside, about a dozen people were arrested during a peaceful demonstration of about 400 opposed to the Iraq war and the U.S. prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Bush’s speech had an internal snafu as well. A draft was publicized on the U.N.’s Web site, complete with pronunciations for names of foreign leaders and locales. “I don’t know how the draft of the speech – it was not final – was posted, but it was, and it was taken down,” White House press secretary Dana Perino said.