BAGHDAD, June 17 (UPI) -- Washington assured Iraqi political leaders it wouldn't interfere in their internal affairs, the head of the influential Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council said.
Ammar al-Hakim, the leader of the Shiite political movement, met in Baghdad with Jeffrey Feltman, acting assistant secretary of state in the bureau of near eastern affairs.
Feltman arrived Monday in Baghdad to get a first-hand update on political developments in Iraq.
Iraq had a session Monday to swear in new members of parliament, meeting for less than an hour. Iraq is still without a government after a March 7 vote.
The U.S. State Department said Tuesday that Feltman was to meet with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and other political leaders to "convey our interest in seeing talks make real progress toward informing an inclusive and representative government."
Hakim in a statement from his office said he had assurances from Feltman that Washington would honor Iraq's political independence, the National Iraqi News Agency reports.
"Feltman stressed that the U.S. did not interfere in the Iraqi internal affairs and renew its desire to consolidate bilateral relations between the two countries in all aspects," the statement read.
SIIC is a member of the Iraqi National Alliance, which joined with Maliki's State of Law party to form a grand Shiite coalition that is four seats shy of the majority needed to form a new government.
The secular Iraqiya maintains it has the right to form the new government as the winner of the March 7 contest.
