Biden: Iraq's Political Progress Bringing International Support | WPN World People News

U.S. Vice President Joe Biden says Iraq has made political progress that has generated greater support from the region and the world.

Biden also reiterated in a phone call Monday with Iraqi Prime Minister-designate Haider al-Abadi that forming a new government is an "integral component" of Iraq's battle against militants from the Islamic State group.

The White House said Abadi told Biden that he intends to quickly form an inclusive, power-sharing government to replace that of Nouri al-Maliki.

Earlier Monday, Abadi called for all militias and tribes in Iraq to come under state control and stop operating independently.

Iraq has been struggling to cope with surge by Sunni militants who have taken control of large areas in the northern and western parts of the country.

U.N. Human rights chief Navi Pillay has condemned what she called "appalling, widespread and systematic" abuses by the militants from the Islamic State group.

In a statement Monday, Pillay said the group is committing "grave, horrific human rights violations" every day that amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The militants have killed hundreds of minority Yazidi and captured thousands of others as slaves.

The jihadist group last week released a videotaped showing the brutal beheading of James Foley, an American journalist taken captive in Syria in 2012.

Pillay said the U.N. also has verified reports that the Islamic Group killed 670 detainees from a prison it took control of in June.

Dr. Mohit Bhandari, a co-author of the paper, reports consultancy payments and grant support from medical device makers and biopharmaceutical companies.

Source: Voice of America