We discussed Afghanistan and our plan to transition, and the importance all the regional parties assisting the Afghan government in stabilizing the country for the benefit of the Afghan people.

WHITEHOUSE: President Obama's Bilateral Meeting with President Medvedev of Russia | The White House

While the policies implemented by the central government in 2011 have been effective in stabilizing residential price growth across the country, they have come at some cost to the coffers of the local governments.

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The housing market is stabilizing and beginning to come back in many parts of the country.

WHITEHOUSE: President Obama Holds a Press Conference on the Economy

The arrest of al-Esawi's bodyguards came just hours after President Jalal Talabani, a Kurd who is widely viewed as a stabilizing political force in Iraq, left the country about two weeks after suffering a stroke.

CNN: STORY HIGHLIGHTS

The arrest of Esawi's bodyguards came just hours after President Jalal Talabani, a Kurd who is widely viewed as a stabilizing political force in Iraq, left the country to undergo treatment for cancer in Germany.

CNN: One year later, Iraq war's legacy remains unclear

We're starting to see a little bit of stabilizing in some of the housing markets around the country, but that continues to be a significant drag on our economy.

WHITEHOUSE: Signing Export-Import Bank Reauthorization