The New York Times, Baghdad,  July 3, 2010 — Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. landed here on Saturday evening for a visit that signaled a desire by the United States to step deeper into a four-month political stalemate that has become a backdrop to the drawdown of American forces this summer.
The visit is likely to be seen by some through the prism of American re-engagement in Iraq, and as an answer to critics who say that the Obama administration has shown a lack of focus in setting policy for the United States’ future relationship with Iraq.
Mr. Biden, who arrived here with his wife, Jill, has scheduled a series of meetings with Iraq’s political leaders. Several political leaders welcomed his visit, expressing hope that more robust American diplomacy could resolve Iraq’s political paralysis.
“This visit is welcome at a time when politicians cannot find a solution themselves,” said Wael Abdul Latif, a newly elected member of Parliament from one of the two main Shiite blocs, the Iraqi National Alliance. “We have to take advantage of foreign help to find our solution, as we have since 2003 until now.”
As the war in Afghanistan escalates, America’s involvement here is winding down. The American military is reducing its forces, despite the lack of a new government almost four months after parliamentary elections on March 7.
That Iraqis surged to the polls that day, despite violence, raised hopes that the United States’ mission of establishing a democracy in a country accustomed to tyranny could yet be successful.
The aftermath of the vote, however, has emphasized that Iraq has not yet overcome its ethnic and sectarian divisions. Its newly elected political leaders — at times seemingly more divided than the populace — have been unable to form a government and choose a new prime minister.
After the election, Mr. Biden and other administration officials deliberately sought to stay out of the political and legal disputes that consumed weeks, then months, even as other countries lobbied more openly for various outcomes. Many of Iraq’s leaders have traveled abroad seeking support, especially from Iran.
Mr. Biden, making his fourth trip to Iraq as vice president, oversees the administration’s Iraq policy, which has increasingly been overshadowed by the war in Afghanistan.President Obama, a critic of the war as a senator and a presidential candidate, has visited once as president.
Mr. Biden’s visit coincided with that of three prominent senators: John McCain, Republican of Arizona; Joseph I. Lieberman, independent of Connecticut; and Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina. The visits signaled, intentionally or not, a diplomatic surge at what is viewed as a critical moment for Iraq’s fledgling democracy.
The Bidens’ trip over the July 4 weekend was billed by the White House as an opportunity for them to celebrate the holiday with American troops.
Mr. Biden is also scheduled to meet with the top American officials here, Gen. Ray Odierno and Ambassador Christopher R. Hill, as well as the United Nations special representative in Iraq, Ad Melkert.
The White House said he would also meet with Iraqi officials, including Prime MinisterNuri Kamal al-Maliki, and with Ayad Allawi, the leader of an opposition bloc who seeks to become the next prime minister.
Mr. Obama set an August deadline to end combat operations in Iraq and reduce the number of troops to 50,000.