Iraq needs a unity leader, says Rice

America and Britain have increased the pressure on Iraq's leaders to find a new prime minister acceptable to the whole country.

Condoleezza Rice, the US secretary of state, and Jack Straw, the Foreign Secretary, used the last hours of their two-day visit to reinforce their message that a unifying leader must be found.
Their appeal puts Ibrahim Jaafari, the prime minister who has been selected by the Shia alliance to lead a new government, under intense pressure to step down.

"You cannot have a political vacuum in a country like this that faces so much threat of violence," Miss Rice said.

"It needs to be a strong leader who is a unifying force and someone who can bring stability and meet the challenges of the Iraqi people."

It is clear that Mr Straw and Miss Rice do not believe that Mr Jaafari, who is opposed by many Sunni and Kurds and even by some in his own party, meets the criteria of a leader qualified to hold together Iraq's explosive ethnic mix.

Although elections were held in December, talks in forming a government have stalled, most specifically over Mr Jaafari. He is accused of being weak in trying to combat the violence that has engulfed the country.
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