US welcomes breakthrough in Iraqi government

WASHINGTON, Apr 22 (Reuters) The United States welcomed today a breakthrough in Iraq's political deadlock and said the Shi'ite politician chosen to lead a new government was someone Washington could work with.

After months of mounting violence and political squabbling, Iraqi President Jalal Talabani asked Shi'ite politician Jawad al-Maliki to head Iraq's first full-term government since US forces invaded in March 2003 and toppled Saddam Hussein.

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the announcement was an ''important milestone'' for Iraq.

''This is a good day for Iraq. It is an important day for Iraq,'' said Rice in a conference call with reporters.

''This is someone with whom we can work and we are looking forward to working with him,'' added Rice, who personally traveled to Iraq this month to try and break the impasse.

With pressure growing at home for the United States to pull out more than 130,000 US troops in Iraq, the Bush administration was becoming increasingly disheartened at how long it was taking to form a new government.

In her visit to Iraq this month, Rice made clear that US patience was running out and Washington blamed the political vacuum for fueling sectarian violence that worsened after the February bombing of a Shi'ite shrine.

With President George W Bush's popularity at a low and the prospect of mid-term congressional elections in November, the Bush administration hopes a unity government of Shi'ites, Sunni Arabs and Kurds will lead to more stability and enable troops to start coming home.

Asked about the US troop presence, Rice did not indicate when soldiers could be brought home but she said the United States would continue to support the training of Iraq's security forces.

''The Iraqi leaders with whom I have spoken ... look very much forward to the day when they can do this on their own as do we, but they recognize they are not quite there yet,'' said Rice.

PRAISE FOR MALIKI Rice, who said she had not yet met Maliki, praised him as a strong figure capable of getting things done and described him as an Iraqi patriot concerned with Iraq's sovereignty.

Maliki, an official in Iraq's oldest Islamist party, now has one month to form a cabinet and put it to a vote. He has sought to shake off his hard-line Shi'ite image and present himself as a man capable of uniting Shi'ites, Sunni Arabs and Kurds.

Rice said there was much work ahead to get the rest of the Iraqi cabinet in place and the new government would have to tackle the security situation, particularly in Baghdad.

''It's a long list but obviously the security situation will be key,'' she said.

Another priority would be to have a Ministry of Interior create a police force the Iraqi people had confidence in. The Interior Ministry has been accused of fomenting the sectarian violence that has peaked in recent months.

Maliki has called for Iraq's militias to be merged with the armed forces, a move Rice declined comment on until she had more details.

The issue over how armed groups might be incorporated into Iraq's Army was an issue to be discussed later on, she added.

REUTERS KD RAI0001