Biden Urges Iraq to Form Government

At a Fourth of July reception at U.S. Ambassador Christopher R. Hill's home in Baghdad, Vice President Joe Biden implored Iraqi leaders to move forward with forming a government, invoking the divisions among America's Founding Fathers: “When they signed that declaration, many of them did not even like one another,” he said. "My plea to you is to continue what you started." In a clear reference to Iran's meddling in Iraq's post-election politics, Biden added, “You should not, and I’m sure you will not, let any state, from the United States to any state in the region, dictate what will become of you all." Biden also met with various Iraqi leaders, including Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki; in a statement Khalid al-Assadi, a member of al-Maliki's party said that “process of forming a government is going on quietly.”