Iraq
Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein (left) and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken (right) made statements to the media in Washington on July 23, 2021. Photo: Rudaw
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — Iraq’s foreign minister in Washington on Friday said the country still needs international military support in the fight against the Islamic State group (ISIS), especially after a bombing in Baghdad last week killed dozens. Fuad Hussein is in the United States capital for preliminary talks ahead of Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi’s visit to the White House on Monday.
“There’s still ISIS terrorist activity in Iraq,” Hussein told reporters in Washington alongside US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, pointing to a suicide bombing in a crowded market in Sadr City on July 19 that killed about 35 people.
“We need cooperation with the international coalition and to work with the international coalition under the leadership of the United States and to exchange information with the international coalition, the United States and with Iraq to defeat ISIS,” Hussein said.
The talks in Washington are expected to detail a formal end to the US combat mission in Iraq and see it shift to an advisory and training role, which is already the focus of the 2,500 American troops now in the country. Hussein told Rudaw earlier this week that they will set a timeline for the withdrawal of US forces.
Last year, Iraq’s parliament passed a non-binding resolution requiring foreign forces to withdraw from the country after the US assassinated Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) deputy commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis and Iranian Gen. Qasem Soleimani in Baghdad. Iranian-backed militias within the PMF are suspected of being behind frequent rocket and drone attacks on US interests in Iraq.
The Washington talks, which are the latest round of strategic dialogue about the broad relationship between the US and Iraq, will also cover economic, health, and energy sectors.
“The United States is proud to be partnered with Iraq in meeting some of the most important challenges of our times, whether it’s the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, dealing with climate change and making investments in renewable energy,” said Blinken.
“This partnership has tremendous breadth as well as tremendous depth,” he added.
“The strategic dialogue depends and relies on pushing forward these efforts to improve the lives of people and to improve the future of Iraq,” said Hussein.
“There’s still ISIS terrorist activity in Iraq,” Hussein told reporters in Washington alongside US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, pointing to a suicide bombing in a crowded market in Sadr City on July 19 that killed about 35 people.
“We need cooperation with the international coalition and to work with the international coalition under the leadership of the United States and to exchange information with the international coalition, the United States and with Iraq to defeat ISIS,” Hussein said.
The talks in Washington are expected to detail a formal end to the US combat mission in Iraq and see it shift to an advisory and training role, which is already the focus of the 2,500 American troops now in the country. Hussein told Rudaw earlier this week that they will set a timeline for the withdrawal of US forces.
Last year, Iraq’s parliament passed a non-binding resolution requiring foreign forces to withdraw from the country after the US assassinated Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) deputy commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis and Iranian Gen. Qasem Soleimani in Baghdad. Iranian-backed militias within the PMF are suspected of being behind frequent rocket and drone attacks on US interests in Iraq.
The Washington talks, which are the latest round of strategic dialogue about the broad relationship between the US and Iraq, will also cover economic, health, and energy sectors.
“The United States is proud to be partnered with Iraq in meeting some of the most important challenges of our times, whether it’s the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, dealing with climate change and making investments in renewable energy,” said Blinken.
“This partnership has tremendous breadth as well as tremendous depth,” he added.
“The strategic dialogue depends and relies on pushing forward these efforts to improve the lives of people and to improve the future of Iraq,” said Hussein.
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