White House commends Maliki for stepping aside as Iraqi prime minister

EDGARTOWN Mass. (Reuters) - The White House on Thursday praised Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki for dropping his bid for a third term and throwing his support behind a designated replacement, Haider al-Abadi. "Today, Iraqis took another major step forward in uniting their country," U.S. national security adviser Susan Rice said in a statement. "We commend Prime Minister Maliki for his decision to support Prime Minister-designate Haider al-Abadi in his efforts to form a new government in line with the Iraqi constitution." Rice said the U.S. government, which had long lost patience with Maliki, had heard from a number of leaders in Iraq who had pledged their support to Abadi. She noted expressions of support from other countries as well. "These are encouraging developments that we hope can set Iraq on a new path and unite its people against the threat presented by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant," Rice said. "The United States remains committed to a strong partnership with Iraq and the Iraqi people." (Reporting by Jeff Mason; Editing by Eric Beech)