He met with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and President Jalal Talabani.

VOA: special.2009.04.11

Aides said that included Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and President Jalal Talabani as well as Iraq's vice presidents and other key political leaders.

CNN: Cheney: Five years in Iraq a 'successful endeavor'

Iraqi President Jalal Talabani on Wednesday backed al-Maliki's call.

CNN: Clashes in Baghdad's Sadr City kill 20

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