Biden holds talks in Iraq over election blacklist

Baghdad: US Vice President Joe Biden is holding talks with Iraqi leaders amid growing tensions over plans to ban election candidates because of suspected links to Saddam Hussain's regime.

Biden plans meetings on Saturday with Iraqi officials including Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki, who has strongly supported the blacklist.

The White House worries the bans could raise questions about the March 7 parliamentary elections, which are seen as an important step in the US troop withdrawal timetable.

Some Sunni leaders have accused the Shiite-led government of using the ban as a political tool.

However, Al Maliki insists that Iraq must purge all ties to Saddam's Sunni-dominated regime. A vetting panel has put 512 names on the blacklist and more are expected.