Originally posted by the Voice of America. Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America, a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in the public domain. Biden in Iraq for Talks on US Troop Withdrawal VOA News 13 January 2011 Iraq's Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki (L) walks with U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, center, after his arrival for a meeting in Baghdad, Iraq, 13 Jan 2011 Photo: AP Iraq's Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki (L) walks with U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, center, after his arrival for a meeting in Baghdad, Iraq, 13 Jan 2011 U.S. Vice President Joe Biden arrived in Iraq early Thursday for talks with the new government's leaders about the future of American troops in the country as they prepare to leave at year's end. Biden's unannounced trip marks the first visit by a top U.S. official since Iraq approved a new Cabinet last month, breaking a political deadlock and jump-starting its stalled government after inconclusive elections last March. Iraqi officials say they expect that the issue of whether to keep some U.S. forces in the country beyond the December 31 deadline will dominate Biden's talks with Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and President Jalal Talibani. Biden also is due to meet with other Iraqi leaders including Ayad Allawi, a secular Shi'ite who heads the opposition, Sunni-backed Iraqiya bloc. Mr. Maliki is under pressure from hardline Shi'ite members of his coalition government not to extend the U.S. military presence beyond the end of the year, even though Iraqi and U.S. officials say the country will not be in a position to defend its borders on its own. Iraqi officials say three bombings early Thursday targeted mosques in central and northern Baghdad, killing two people. Authorities said the blasts at two Sunni mosques and one Shi'ite mosque also wounded at least 11 other people. Last week, influential anti-American Shi'ite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr returned to Iraq after nearly four years in exile, in part to insist that what he called U.S. "occupiers" must leave Iraq on time or face retribution among his followers. About 50,000 U.S. troops remain in the country. Biden flew to Iraq from Pakistan, where he urged the country's leaders to fight growing religious extremism and he tried to dispel "common anti-American misconceptions" in that country. Following talks with Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Yousef Gilani and army chief General Ashfaq Kayani Wednesday, Biden said the U.S. is not the enemy of Islam. He said the United States embraces those who practice its faith, noting that Islam is the fastest growing religion in the country. Biden pointed out that al-Qaida terrorists are a threat to both Pakistan and the U.S. He defended Washington's role in Pakistan, saying it is extremists, not the U.S., who violate Pakistan's sovereignty. The U.S. vice president said the two sides discussed the situation in neighboring Afghanistan. He added that U.S. policies do not favor India at Pakistan's expense because it is in the interest of the global community to see a strong Pakistan at peace with its neighbors. Biden also condemned last week's assassination of the governor of Punjab province, Salman Taseer, who was killed for his opposition to Pakistan's blasphemy law. Members of Pakistan's ruling elite have condemned the murder, but tens of thousands of people took to the streets in Karachi Sunday in support of the killing of the governor.  NEW: Follow our Middle East reports on [1]Twitter and discuss them on our [2]Facebook page. References 1. http://twitter.com/VOAMidEast 2. http://www.facebook.com/pages/VOAMiddleEastVoices/124360240958667? v=wall .