Bush, world leaders welcome new Iraqi government

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -
President Bush vowed on Saturday that Washington would stand by Baghdad as he joined world leaders in welcoming Iraq's new government.

"The United States and freedom-loving nations around the world will stand with Iraq as it takes its place among the world's democracies and as an ally in the war on terror," Bush said in a written statement.
Bush was the latest in a string of world leaders to welcome the formation on Saturday of the new Iraqi government -- the first full-term administration since
Saddam Husseinwas ousted in 2003 in a U.S.-led invasion.Nuri al-Maliki, who was inaugurated on Saturday as post-war Iraq's first full-time prime minister, has pledged to make security and the economy his government's top priorities.
"Iraqis now have a fully constitutional government, marking the end of a democratic transitional process in Iraq that has been both difficult and inspiring," Bush said.
Earlier British Prime Minister
Tony Blair hailed it as a crucial step forward for Iraqis, who went to the polls in December but have struggled to form a government due to sectarian wrangling between main Sunni, Shi'ite and Kurdish groups.
Hundreds of people are being killed every month in Baghdad alone and tens of thousands have fled their homes in fear of sectarian attacks since the bombing of a Shi'ite shrine in February.
"I'm obviously deeply relieved we've got a government," he told British broadcaster Sky Television. "The fact that you've got a government for the first time that is one of genuine national unity, voted for by over 12 million, I think that is a very, very crucial change in Iraq."

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It's about time they finally get something done over there. Our men have been dying for there power plays over there and it has to end. Now we should be able to start to slow process of tranfering troops out of there. The Democrats will claim that they are the reason for the draw down of troops , it has always been said that the situation on the ground would determine the amount of troops. This is a victory for Bush, nobody in the Democrat party said it could be done, now it is.