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Iraqi gov't formation seen as progress

BAGHDAD, Dec. 22 (UPI) -- World leaders said the new government in Iraq was a sign of progress, though the release of former militants caused renewed concern.

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and new members of his Cabinet got backing from members of Parliament during a Tuesday session. The appointment ends the longest post-election political stalemate in modern history.

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U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, one of Washington's point men on Iraq, praised the "inclusive, national partnership" that emerged from the nine-month process that eventually led to a new government.

"There are many challenges ahead but I am convinced Iraq is up to them," he said in a statement. "The United States stands ready to help and to strengthen even more the important partnership we have built."

The deal followed months of negotiations between Maliki, his rival and former interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi and Kurdish President Massoud Barzani.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in a statement through his office congratulated Baghdad for moving ahead in the spirit of national unity but noted there were "major challenges" ahead in terms of national security and reconciliation.

Meanwhile, members of the Mehdi Army, a militia loyal to anti-American cleric Moqtada Sadr, were a noted presence on the streets of Iraq after being freed from prison, the BBC reported Wednesday.

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Several of the men were accused of playing a role in the civil war that followed the U.S. invasion in 2003. The BBC reported that their release was met with a sense of fear by Iraqi forces who fought against the Shiite militia during sectarian conflict.

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