Biden, Al-Nujaifi discuss Iraq's political security issues

US Vice President Joe Biden and Iraqi Council of Representatives Speaker Osama al-Nujaifi discussed Iraq's political and security issues in a phone call late Thursday. According to a readout of the call released by the White House, "The two leaders discussed events in the region and efforts to bolster moderate forces against the terrorists and other extremists targeting innocent Iraqis." Biden also "expressed his sympathies to the families of those killed in these cowardly attacks." It was a deadly month in Iraq as more than 350 people were killed in sectarian violence in October alone. A wave of bombings over Eid Al-Adha holiday raised the death toll to more than 5,000 since the beginning of the year. Biden pledged America's support via the Strategic Framework Agreement (SFA) "to help Iraq bring the perpetrators of these atrocities to justice." Also during the call, Al-Nujaifi "discussed the important issues pending before the Iraqi parliament, including the law to govern national elections in 2014" and the two leaders agreed "that these elections should be held no later than April 30, 2014." Biden encouraged Iraqi leaders to cooperate and "finalize the election law as soon as possible.