United Nations, Muharram 26, 1433, Dec 21, 2011, SPA - U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday said the withdrawal of U.S forces from Iraq is “an opportunity for Iraqi leaders to demonstrate to their people and to the world that they are fully capable of steering the country towards a better future.” The final convoy of U.S. troops left Iraq on Sunday after a presence of almost nine years. Ban said he “is closely following the current political situation in Iraq” and “urges Iraqi political leaders to engage in inclusive and constructive dialogue to resolve their differences and build on the achievements that have been made so far in laying the ground for a democratic state.” The secretary-general said “Iraqi leaders owe it to the people of Iraq who elected them to work together in spirit of partnership and national unity to address the pressing challenges facing the country.” The U.N. chief also reaffirmed that the U.N. assistance mission in Iraq stands ready to assist the Iraqi people and government. --SPA 12:07 LOCAL TIME 09:07 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/954636