Christopher R. Hill, United States Ambassador to Iraq, briefed reporters on the lead up to the Iraqi elections scheduled for early March. Of election monitoring efforts, which will be closely watched to ensure legitimacy of the results, Hill said "We are working very closely with the UN and with the U.S. forces to help secure having 26 four-person monitoring teams."
In other developments, the Ambassador said "Iraq has made important strides in its economy in recent months."
Read the full transcript of the briefing here.