Biden, al-Maliki meet on final day of US combat operations
US Vice President Joe Biden and Iraq's Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki met in Baghdad on Tuesday, the final day of official US military combat operations, Iraqi officials said, DPA reported.
Biden arrived late Monday to mark the end of the US combat role and hold talks with Iraq's main political parties, amid a five-month- long post-election stalemate preventing the formation a new government.
Al-Maliki's party, the State of Law list, came in a close second in the March 7 post, winning two seats less than his arch-rival, former premier Iyad Allawi's Iraqiyah list. The third largest bloc is headed by Shiite cleric Amar al-Hakim and includes the anti-US Sadrist movement.
No party has an outright majority and they have been unable to reach a coalition deal.
Biden's visit is his sixth Iraq since 2009 In July, he met with Iraqi officials after the election results were confirmed, and urged them to bring stability to the country and form a cabinet.
Some 50,000 US troops, with only advisory, training and counter- terrorism capacity, are to remain in Iraq until 2011.
