Pompeo underlines backing Iraq
US SECRETARY of State Mike Pompeo met troops and political leaders in Iraq yesterday, to reassure them about a US military withdrawal from Syria and warn that Washington’s arch-foe, Iran, remained a regional security threat.
The visit, which was not confirmed by the State Department until Pompeo left Baghdad, came on the second day of his Middle East tour, also taking in Jordan, Egypt, Bahrain, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Oman.
His tour follows an increase in tensions between Washington and Tehran after the Trump administration reimposed sanctions and seeks to rally Arab allies to counter Iran’s sway, which is growing particularly in Iraq, Syria and Lebanon.
In Baghdad, Pompeo met Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi, Foreign Minister Mohammed al-Hakim, speaker of parliament Mohammed al-Halbousi and President Barham Salih.
Pompeo said he was “very happy to be here”, in his meeting with Abdul Mahdi, adding that “the timing is good”.
The State Department said Pompeo had “underlined the US commitment to Iraq’s sovereignty... (and) discussed the recent territorial defeat of Isis in Syria and the continuation of our co-operation with Iraqi Security Forces” during his meeting with Abdul Mahdi.
US President Donald Trump met no Iraqi political leaders on a surprise visit to US troops at the Al Asad Air Base outside Baghdad last month. The trip drew wide criticism in Iraq, especially from Iran-allied politicians who said it violated Iraqi sovereignty, and called for US troops to leave Iraq.
President Salih, answering a reporter’s question on whether he wanted the US to keep troops, said Iraq “will need the support of the US”, expressing his “gratitude to the US for support over the years”.
“Isis is defeated militarily but the mission is not accomplished,” Salih said, using the acronym for the Islamic State group.
IS militants are still waging insurgent attacks in the north of the country and trying to make a comeback, analysts say, but violence has reduced.
The US keeps more than 5 200 troops in Iraq more than 15 years after its invasion of the country in 2003 which toppled Saddam Hussein. The US military supported Iraq in defeating IS militarily in 2017 with air strikes and special forces.
Pompeo’s visit comes after Trump’s abrupt announcement last month that he would pull all 2 000 US troops from Syria, which caused alarm among US allies in the region.
Pompeo has refused to discuss the Syria withdrawal’s timing, but Trump is said to have been convinced that it should be done in an orderly way.
Trump has not said, however, that he intends to withdraw US forces from Iraq.
The State Department said Pompeo and Abdul Mahdi discussed “US support for Iraq’s energy independence”, a reference to Iraq’s heavy reliance on Iranian gas for its power grid.