The White House Thursday welcomed a power-sharing deal hammered out in Iraq, eight months after a contested general election, as a "big step forward." "The apparent agreement to form an inclusive government is a big step forward for Iraq," said Anthony Blinken, national security advisor to Vice President Joe Biden. "All along we've said the best result would be a government that reflects the results of the elections, includes all the major blocs representing Iraq's ethnic and sectarian groups, and that does not exclude or marginalize anyone."