[Al Arabiya] An alliance of Iraq's Shiite political blocs picked incumbent Nuri al-Maliki on Friday as its nominee for prime minister, alliance officials said, ending months of wrangling that had stalled formation of a government.The decision by the National Alliance, a merger of Maliki's Shiite-led State of Law coalition and the Tehran-friendly Iraqi National Alliance (INA), marked a breakthrough in talks among Iraq's political factions for a new government after a March 7 parliamentary election that produced no clear winner.
"We have nominated Maliki as the candidate of the National Alliance," Ali al-Adeeb, a senior member of Maliki's Dawa party said.
The United States said it is "now encouraged" that Iraqi political leaders are finally beginning to take steps to form a government, months after the March elections.
"The United States of America does not have a favorite candidate," State Department front man Philip Crowley told news hounds.
"But obviously we've been recognizing and communicating to Iraqi political leaders that they have to find ways to form a political coalition, strong enough to stand up a government," he added.
"These are the kinds of steps Iraq has to take and we are now encouraged that they are beginning to take these steps," he said.