Iraqi President Jalal Talabani Sunday hailed the Egyptian standing towards Iraqi political faction as "balanced", urging the 'big Arab country' to stand by the Iraqis until they find a proper way out of current political deadlocak. "We appreciate the Egyptian balanced role in Iraq. However, we look forward to Egypt's help for Iraq in order to form a new government in view of the recent elections," Talabani told reporters in Cairo Sunday after talks with President Hosni Mubarak. He added that he had asked Mubarak to continue with forwarding help to Iraq. "I have called on the President to activate the agreemed signed between Egypt and Iraq as soon as possible," Talabani said. The Iraqi leader said that he had briefed Mubarak on the latest circumstances in Iraq and the talks to form the new government. Later in the day, the Iraqi leader conferred with Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa, with whom he discussed the latest developments in Iraq. Iraqi election officials last week launched a recount of votes cast in Baghdad during March elections, which almost immediately drew fire from a key supporter of Prime Minister Nuri Maliki, whose party initially requested the second tally. The dispute further dimmed prospects for the quick formation of a new government. Iraq's independent election commission said it would take "two weeks or even three" to finish the recount. Iraqis and Western observers fear stretching out the formation of the new government could further allow security to deteriorate and endanger a plan to pull about 50,000 American troops out of the country by September.
