President Obama congratulated Iraqis who voted in national elections Sunday, saying that the apparently successful process will help his administration stick to its timetable to withdraw all American combat troops from the nation this summer. As Vice President Biden stood by his side in the Rose Garden, Obama said the strong turnout of Iraqi voters -- which occurred despite insurgent attacks on heavily guarded polling places that killed at least 38 people -- demonstrated that "the future of Iraq belongs to the people of Iraq." While acknowledging that the election "is the beginning, not the end of a long electoral and constitutional process" Obama called the election "an important milestone in Iraqi history." Iraq still must field and investigate complaints of voter fraud, choose its next prime minister, form a government and forge compromise, which Obama predicted would take months. – Washington Post