Hijjah 19, 1431/November 25, 2010, SPA -- Iraq's president on Thursday asked incumbent Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to form a new government, part of a deal to end an eight-month deadlock over who would lead the country through the next four years, including the departure of the final American troops, , according to AP. The long-awaited request from President Jalal Talabani sets in motion a 30-day timeline to accomplish the daunting task of finding a team that includes all of Iraq's rival factions. «I know and you know well that the responsibility I am undertaking is not an easy task especially in the current circumstances that our country is passing through,» al-Maliki said after accepting Talabani's request.
