PM designate signals crackdown on militias

updated 5:58 p.m. ET April 23, 2006

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Prime minister-designate Jawad al-Maliki began on Sunday the tough task of assembling a Cabinet out of Iraq’s Shiite, Sunni and Kurdish parties.

Al-Maliki, a Shiite, has 30 days to do it, but the parties are under enormous pressure — from Americans and even Shiite religious leaders — to move quickly without the often intractable haggling over ministries.

The United States is hoping the new government will unify Iraq’s bitterly divided factions behind a program aimed at reining in both the Sunni-led insurgency and the Shiite-Sunni killings that escalated during months without a stable government.

U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad, a key player in torturous political negotiations since Iraq’s Dec. 15 elections, repeated his call for the quick creation of a Cabinet of “competent” ministers — implying those chosen for their skills and not sectarian or political ties.

Khalilzad said the next government must decommission sectarian militias and integrate them into the national armed forces, warning that the armed groups represent the “infrastructure for civil war.”

Bid to end deadlock
Al-Maliki promised Saturday to swiftly finish building a unity government after parliament elected a top national leadership, ending months of political deadlock as the nation spiraled into chaos.

President Bush on Sunday called Iraq’s top leaders to congratulate them on breaking the political impasse.

Bush said he told President Jalal Talabani, al-Maliki and parliament Speaker Mahmoud al-Mashhadani that they have a duty to improve the lives of Iraqis, defeat the insurgency and unite the country.

“They have awesome responsibilities to their people,” Bush told military families in the mess hall at the Marine Corps Air Ground Center.

The Iraqi leaders “expressed their deep appreciation for the United States of America and our soldiers,” Bush said as he told the audience about three calls he had made early Sunday.

“Yesterday was an important day, but I recognize that we still have more work to do,” Bush said. “Democracy in Iraq will be a major blow to the terrorists who want to do us harm.”

After repeated delays, parliament convened Saturday in the heavily guarded Green Zone and elected a president, two vice presidents, a parliament speaker and two deputies.

Talabani, a Kurd who won a second term, named al-Maliki as prime minister-designate, a formality after the dominant Shiite bloc replaced outgoing Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari. Sunnis and Kurds refused to accept al-Jaafari.

Bush hails political compromise
Bush said it would be up to the new leadership in Iraq to shoulder the burden for securing the country, but he did not commit to a drawdown of American forces that now are playing the lead role.

“There’s going to be more tough fighting ahead in Iraq and there’ll be more days of sacrifice and struggle,” Bush said. “Yet, the enemies of freedom have suffered a real blow today, and we’ve taken a great stride on the march to victory.

“This historic achievement by determined Iraqis will make America more secure,” he said.

NBC VIDEO Signs of progress April 22: Iraq took a big step Saturday by beginning to name a new unity government. NBC's Richard Engel reports. Nightly News

The administration’s quick and high-profile response reflected the high stakes the situation poses for Bush. The administration sees the establishment of a permanent government in Iraq as an important step toward stabilizing the country and allowing for the drawdown of U.S. forces there.

“Formation of a new Iraqi government is an opportunity for America to open a new chapter in our partnership with the Iraqi people,” Bush said Saturday. “The United States and our coalition partners will work with the new Iraqi government to reassess our tactics, adjust our methods and strengthen our mutual efforts to achieve victory in this central front in the war on terror.”

The weekend’s political developments laid the foundation for post-Saddam Hussein Iraq’s first fully constitutional government, which Washington hopes can quell the Sunni-led insurgency and bloody Shiite-Sunni violence. That would enable the United States to begin withdrawing its 133,000 troops.

Few believe the task will be easy. It remains uncertain whether Iraqi leaders representing religiously and ethnically based parties can set aside their interests and rise to the challenge of managing a nation perched at the brink of disaster.

“I don’t want to mislead you by leading you to believe that the improvement will happen instantaneously,” Khalilzad told reporters. “I think that with the formation of a national unity government with a good program and with competent ministers, Iraq will be on the right trajectory.”

MORE FROM CONFLICT IN IRAQ

Conflict in Iraq Section Front

Bomb targets Shiite market in Baghdad U.S.-Iraq security pact faces hurdles To Iraqis, U.S. election just ‘honey promises’ Conflict in Iraq Section Front   Add Conflict in Iraq headlines to your news reader: