WASHINGTON DC - US President Barack Obama has ruled out cooperation with Iraq’s government in areas where the Iranian military is present, warning that Iranian-backed militias might commit atrocities in recaptured Sunni areas. In “what Iran is doing there is a problem, and we can’t cooperate in that area,” Obama said on Wednesday. He explained that, while Washington is cooperating with the Iraqi government on regaining territories lost to the Islamic State group (ISIS), it does not shy away from telling Baghdad that military cooperation with Iran is wrong. “For example, unless you get those folks out of there, because we’re not going to have our troops -- even in an advisory or training role -- looking over their shoulders because they’re not sure of what might happen to them,” he added. The US president admitted that Iran has influence in Iraq and described some cooperation in Iraq as “natural,” while other relations as “less legitimate.” “Iraq has a majority Shiite population. They have relationships to Iran. Some are natural. We expect somebody like Prime Minister (Haider) Abadi to meet with and negotiate and work with Iran as its neighbor,” Obama said. “Some are less legitimate -- where you see Iran financing Shiite militias that in the past have killed American soldiers and in the future may carry out atrocities when they move into Sunni areas,” the president said. He stressed that US assistance to Iraq is conditional on having Iraqi security forces under the direct control of the country’s prime minister. “If we don’t have confidence that ultimately Abadi is directing those soldiers, then it’s tough for us to have any kind of direct relationship,” he said.
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