Iraq’s relations with U.S. moves to new era

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: Spokesman for the Iraqi government, Ali al-Dabbagh, said on Tuesday that Iraq’s relations with the U.S. moved to “a new era,” noting that Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s meeting with U.S. President Barack Obama in Washington was “very important.” “Al-Maliki held a meeting on Tuesday with  Obama in Washington for more than an hour, during which they talked about the security situation in the country,” al-Dabbagh told al-Iraqia satellite television, noting that Iraq’s relations with the U.S. moved to a new era. Obama urged Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki during a meeting on Tuesday to ensure an election law is in place so polling can be conducted on time. “We are very interested, both of us, in making sure that Iraq has an election law that is completed on time so that elections can take place on time in January,” Obama said. Iraqi is scheduled to hold parliamentary elections on January 16, but al-Maliki’s government has yet to agree on an election law, raising concerns the date might need to be pushed back. Al-Maliki reaffirmed his commitment to hold the elections on the scheduled date. The Iraqi prime minister was in Washington along with a high level delegation to attend a conference designed to promote investment in Iraq. Obama said he was sticking with his plan to remove US combat forces by August, which would leave about 50,000 soldiers there as advisors and trainers. He said all US troops will be out by the end of 2011. SH (S) /SR 1