US looking to enlist global support in Iraq

US has said that the need of the hour was to support the new leadership in Iraq and asked international community to come forward in this endeavour.

Barely three days after the conclusion of elections in Iraq, the United States has said that the need of the hour was to support the new leadership in that country and asked the international community to come forward in this endeavour.

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"This is a time to focus on ways that all of us in the international community can support the Iraqi people and the new Iraqi leaders, as they continue to work to build the institutions necessary for democracy to fully emerge in Iraq," White House spokesman Scott McClellan told newsmen on Tuesday.

He said, "There are still challenges that remain, and we hope all countries will do their part to help the Iraqi people build upon this weekend's great success."

Asked whether he would include troops in the help, McClellan said, "What we're focused on right now is training and equipping the Iraqi security forces so that they can provide for their own security going forward. And we're working to accelerate those efforts."

"We need to make sure that they have a command structure in place so that they are fully ready to defend themselves against terrorists and against other external threats. And that's what we're working to do; that's where our focus is," he added.

Terming the reactions by various countries as "positive", he said I think we've made it very clear that all parties in the neighbourhood need to play a constructive role going forward in helping the Iraqi people move forward on putting in place those institutions for democracy to fully emerge in the country."