Date published: 2006/05/20
The BBC says:
World leaders have welcomed the formation of the first full-term Iraqi government since the 2003 invasion.
US President George W Bush said the future was a great challenge but there was an "opportunity for progress".
Iraq's parliament on Saturday approved the government, which includes Shia, Kurd and Sunni party members.
Three crucial ministries - national security, interior and defence - have still to be agreed but new PM Nouri Maliki vowed to heal sectarian strife.
In a keynote speech Mr Maliki said Iraqis must "denounce terrorism" and find an "objective timetable" for international forces to leave.
He told parliament that Iraqis needed to unite in a spirit of love and tolerance and "close up divisions that have emerged through sectarianism".
Mr Maliki laid out a 34-point government programme that included tackling terrorism, integrating militias into the security structure and getting electricity and water back on line.
Well this must be a good thing, but whether it will actually have any real impact in the short or medium term is not obvious. The Americans have created a big mess in Iraq, and it is not obvious to anybody how to sort that mess out.
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