(11 Aug 2014) US President Barack Obama on Monday praised the appointment of a prime minister to replace Nouri al-Maliki and urged the formation of a new government in Iraq as soon as possible.
In brief remarks delivered at his vacation spot in Martha's Vineyard, Obama said he and Vice President Joe Biden had spoken with Haider al-Ibadi, who was designated prime minister by the new president.
al-Ibadi, the deputy speaker of parliament from al-Maliki's Shiite Dawa party, was selected by President Fouad Massoum to be the new prime minister and was given 30 days to present a new government to lawmakers for approval.
Obama urged on al-Ibadi to form an inclusive government representing all Iraqi minorities.
"The only lasting solution is for Iraqis to come together and form an inclusive government, one that represents the legitimate interests of all Iraqis and one that can unify the country's fight against ISIL," Obama said.
He called al-Ibadi's nomination a "promising step forward" and he urged "all Iraqi political leaders to work peacefully through the political process."
Obama also said the United States had successfully carried out targeted air strikes to support Kurdish fighters in their battle against fighters from the Islamic State (IS), and conducted humanitarian relief missions to aid thousands of stranded women and children in the Sinjar mountains in Iraq.
"Some have began to escape their perch on that mountain and we are working with international partners to develop options to bring them to safety," Obama said.
US airstrikes have reinvigorated Iraqi Kurdish forces battling the Islamic State and on Sunday, the Kurdish peshmerga fighters retook two towns, Makhmour and al-Gweir, some 28 miles (45 kilometres) from Irbil, from the Sunni militants in what was one of their first victories after weeks of retreat.
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