Biden meets with U.S., Iraqi leaders

BAGHDAD, Sept. 15 (UPI) -- U.S. Vice President Joe Biden said Tuesday he had won a level of trust from Iraqi leaders and was on his unannounced visit to Iraq to listen.

Biden met with Army Gen. Ray Odierno, leader of U.S. troops in Iraq; Christopher Hill, U.S. Ambassador to Iraq, and Hoshvar Zebari, Iraq's foreign minister met at a location in Baghdad's Green Zone.

In remarks after the meeting, Biden said he was asked by Iraqi leaders "to act as an interlocutor" as the Middle Eastern country works through its political issues, such as election laws.

"A successful election is the necessary condition for some of the outstanding political issues to be resolved," Biden said.

Biden said Odierno is "optimistic" that Iraqi forces could assume security duties on time and that U.S. combat troops could withdraw completely from Iraq as planned by the end of December 2011.

President Barack Obama asked Biden to "provide sustained, high-level focus from the White House on Iraq," the administration said in a statement. Tuesday's trip, Biden's third to Iraq this year, was part of that mission.

The vice president's office said Biden would meet with Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, Speaker of the Council of Representatives Ayad al-Samarrai and other national leaders, as well as representatives from the United Nations mission in Iraq.