U.S. Urges New Inclusive Government in Iraq, Rules Out Sending Troops

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Tuesday urged Iraqi prime minister-designate Haidar al-Abadi quickly to form an inclusive government, while ruling out sending U.S. combat troops to the country.

"We are urging him to form a new cabinet as swiftly as possible and the U.S. stands ready to support a new and inclusive Iraqi government and particularly its fight against ISIL," he said after annual security talks in Australia.

"Let me be very clear, we have always wanted an inclusive government that represents ... all Iraqis. That is the goal."

He added that it was important "the forces of Iraq are not a personal force defined by one particular sect and sworn to allegiance to one particular leader, but they truly represent Iraq and Iraq's future in a broad-based sense".

"And I think that everybody understands that is the direction we have to go," he said.

"Nobody, I think, is looking towards a return to the road that we've traveled.

"What we are really looking for here is a way to support Iraq, to support their forces -- either training or equipment or assistance of one kind or another -- that can help them to stand on their own two feet and defend their nation."

Iraq moved closer to ending Nuri al-Maliki's stubborn grip on power as prime minister on Monday when his own political clan spurned him for Abadi.

Abadi, a Kurd long considered a close Maliki ally, has 30 days to form a government, amid hopes that a broad-based cabinet could serve as a foundation for healing Iraq's deep sectarian divides.

Later on Tuesday, Maliki ordered Iraq's security forces to stay out of a "political crisis" over who will form the next government, amid fears they could intervene.

The two-term premier, whose bid to stay in power has faltered, urged security personnel "to stay away from the political crisis and continue in their security and military duties to defend the country," a statement on Maliki's website said.

Maliki is the commander in chief of the armed forces.

U.N. Iraq envoy Nickolay Mladenov on Monday warned Iraq's military against political interference, after special forces, police and soldiers deployed around strategic installations in Baghdad.

Meanwhile, as the U.S. has been conducting air strikes against extremist Islamic State militants in northern Iraq, Kerry said combat troops would not be sent in.

"There will be no reintroduction of American combat forces into Iraq. This is a fight that Iraqis need to join on behalf of Iraq," he said.

But the United States is helping ship weapons to the Iraqi Kurdish forces battling an advance by the jihadists, the State Department said. The Islamic State was previously known as ISIL.

U.S. aircraft have also been airdropping aid to refugees from the Yazidi religious minority who are trapped on a mountain in northern Iraq, surrounded by extremists from the Islamic State.

U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said the Iraqi government requested the help.

"As you know, it was the Iraqi government that requested the U.S. assistance with humanitarian delivery," he said in Sydney.

"We agreed with that request. We are carrying out those missions.

"It was also the Iraqi government's request of the United States to assist them with transporting military equipment to Arbil to help the Peshmerga (Kurdish fighters)."

He added that the military equipment being shipped was Iraqi.

"We are -- American forces, through CENTCOM -- are helping get that equipment to Arbil."