Kerry hails new government in Iraq

Iraq has achieved “a major milestone” with the formation of a new unity government that “has the potential to unite all of Iraq’s diverse communities for a strong Iraq,” Secretary of State John Kerry said Monday.

Pledging that the United States would stand “shoulder-to-shoulder” with Baghdad as the new government fought to overcome longstanding political and economic divisions, Kerry hailed the new government as an opportunity “to build the future that all Iraqis desire and deserve.”

{mosads}Kerry also announced his plans to head to the region on Tuesday to enlist allies to bolster the government in Baghdad and fight against terrorists from the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi was charged with creating the new government after the resignation of Nouri Maliki last month. Maliki, a Shia, had come under heavy criticism for excluding Sunni officials from top government and military posts, which fed support for the radical militants who have seized large swaths of the country’s northern regions.

Abadi, a more moderate Shia, announced that his government would have Sunni and Kurdish deputy prime ministers. But the new Iraqi leader punted on immediately naming new interior and defense ministers, which could jeopardize unity efforts.

On Monday, Kerry said assuredly the government “will” fill the two influential posts. Abadi has pledged to do so within the week.

Separately, President Obama called the Iraqi leader to congratulate him on the formation of the new government, according to the White House.

Obama and the prime minister “agreed on the importance of having the new government quickly take concrete steps to address the aspirations and legitimate grievances of the Iraqi people,” according to the White House. The president also pledged to closely coordinate with Abadi as the U.S. continued in the fight against ISIS.