Biden in Iraq "optimistic" on reconciliation

Baghdad - US Vice President Joe Biden said Friday that he was 'optimistic' about Iraq's prospects for stability and security, as he met with US and Iraqi officials in Baghdad. Biden met first with the commander of US forces in Iraq, Ray Odierno, whose forces withdrew from Iraqi cities as planned on June 30. 'I am optimistic,' Biden said. 'I think the Iraqis have become invested in their nationhood ... I think they've become invested in the idea that they want to run their own lives, that they want to be in charge.' Biden, who previously chaired the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has visited Iraq several times. But this trip, which began Thursday, is the first since his inauguration as vice president. Biden said his visit is to help him reestablish contact with Iraqi leaders, and to foster a climate of political reconciliation. US President Barack Obama recently asked Biden to be his 'point man' inside the White House on Iraq policy, Biden told reporters accompanying him as he landed in Baghdad. He is also to meet with President Jalal Talabani, Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and other officials to nudge along negotiations on long-term stability in Iraq. Biden, who said this trip will be the first of several to the region as vice president, also plans to celebrate the Fourth of July holiday with troops stationed there. Obama and his generals are publicly optimistic that Iraqi forces are capable of handling security challenges, despite the recent spate of violence, but have expressed deeper concerns about the lack of progress by Iraqi leaders in tackling a host of thorny issues. The Iraqi government is still struggling to overcome differences between Shiites, Sunnis and Kurds over how to share oil revenue and how much power Baghdad should share with provincial governments - issues that are considered essential to alleviating the tension between the groups.