Ahmed al-Assadi, head of al-Sanad bloc, which is a part of the Fatih coalition inside Iraqi parliament, told state-media late Monday that the coalition met with Kadhimi on Saturday to discuss the process of withdrawing US troops from Iraq.
“The meeting was devoted to discussing Kadhimi’s upcoming visit to Washington, and discussions were held on the process of the US withdrawal from Iraq,” Assadi said of the gathering that took place at the house of the coalition's head, Hadi al-Ameri.
“The Fatih coalition informed Kadhimi that the [decision for the] exiting of the foreign forces from Iraq is irreversible,” Assadi explained of a January non-binding vote in Iraqi parliament to expel US forces.
The MP says Kadhimi should restore Iraq’s “sovereignty” by preventing armed groups from committing crimes, and putting an end to “tribal conflicts” in the country.
The meeting between Kadhimi and Iran-backed Fatih coalition comes ahead of the PM’s visit with a government delegation to the American capital to kick off the second round of Iraq-US strategic dialogue talks. He is expected to meet with US President Donald Trump on Thursday.
Kadhimi told AP on Monday – after his meeting with the Fatih coalition – that Iraq is still in need of US assistance to face the threats posed by the Islamic State (ISIS) group in the country.
“In the end, we will still need cooperation and assistance at levels that today might not require direct and military support, and support on the ground,” Kadhimi told AP in the exclusive interview.
Kadhimi intends to maintain “training and weapons support” for the Iraqi security forces in their fight against ISIS, according to AP.
Government spokesperson Ahmed Mullah Talal confirmed to reporters on Monday that the latest round of talks between Washington and Baghdad will “not be the last.”
“The Iraqi PM Kadhimi’s visit is to start the second round of the strategic dialogue, but this is not the last round, as there will be other rounds as well,” Talal said. “The second round of the strategic dialogue will focus on security, economy, energy, and health sectors.”
The talks will begin with a meeting between Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein and his American counterpart Mike Pompeo.
Hussein arrived in Washington on Monday night, according to the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Iraqi PM left Baghdad for the American capital on Tuesday.
The first round of talks began on June 11 via an online conference call. The US and Iraq agreed to reduce the number of American troops in Iraq in the coming months, according to a joint statement.
The reduction of US troops in Iraq will be “renegotiated,” according to Hussein.
“Iraq’s parliament demands all foreign troops in Iraq to be withdrawn, while the government aims to have strong relations with the US. Therefore, we will have a renegotiation about this matter, and we hope that we reach a common understanding that would be in the interest of both countries,” he told TRT World.
Washington and Baghdad have had a rocky relationship in recent years, exacerbated by mounting tensions between the US and its adversary, Iran.
A deadly rocket attack on the K-1 base in Kirkuk last December led to an escalation in hostilities between the US and Iran. Tensions peaked following the US assassination of Iranian general Qasem Soleimani and Iraqi militia chief Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis in Baghdad on January 3.
Tehran retaliated on January 8 with a barrage of missiles targeting Iraqi military bases that host US troops.
In response to the assassinations on Iraqi soil, pro-Iran factions in the Iraqi parliament held and passed a non-binding vote to expel foreign forces from the country.
US-led forces have withdrawn from several Iraqi bases in recent months, which they say is part of a general repositioning in response to successes in the campaign to defeat the Islamic State (ISIS) and to protect personnel amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
In April alone, the US-led coalition handed over control of six military bases to the ISF, including Abu Ghraib near Baghdad, K1 in Kirkuk, al-Qaim near the Syrian border, Qayyarah in western Iraq, al-Sqoor in Mosul, and al-Taqaddum in Anbar.
The latest base transferred to the ISF by the US-led coalition was Besmaya military base, southwest of Baghdad, last month.
