New Delhi: President of the United States Joe Biden with Prime Minister of Iraq Mustafa al-Kadhemi on Monday at the White House said that “US relations with Iraq would enter a new phase with American troops exiting combat operations in the country by year-end.”
The White House announced that “The US troops will continue to assist, to train, to help the soldiers of Iraq, and cooperate Iraq to fight ISIS in the country.”
Amid the threat of Islamic State resurgence and Iran’s powerful influence in Baghdad, President Biden stressed that Washington remains committed to our security cooperation while Kadhemi reaffirmed their strategic partnership.
Biden further added that “The US would help to strengthen electric power supplies, fight Covid-19, confront the impacts of climate change, and support private sector development.”
US support for elections in October in Iraq and with saying that “Washington is working closely with Baghdad, the Gulf Cooperation Council and the United Nations to ensure the elections are fair.”
“We support strengthening Iraq’s democracy and we’re anxious to make sure the election goes forward,” Biden said.
Prime Minister of Iraq also said that “I was in Washington to discuss the future of our nation. America, they help Iraq. Together we fight, fight and defeat ISIS. Today, our relationship is stronger than ever and our partnership in the economy, the environment, health, education, culture, and more.”
Since last year the principal role of the remaining US troops in Iraq has been to train, advise, and support their Iraqi counterparts to battle Islamic State, But powerful pro-Iran political factions, which are crucial to Kadhemi retaining power, are overtly hostile to the US presence and are accused of being behind rocket and drone attacks on bases in Iraq where US forces operate.
A drone attack was carried out Friday on a military base in Iraqi Kurdistan that hosts American troops but did not cause any casualties.
A US State Department statement on the lower-level bilateral meetings that accompanied the Biden-Kadhemi summit emphasized US respect for Iraq’s sovereignty.