Kadhimi, Biden to Meet Soon, Discuss Withdrawal of US Troop
Arab World
Baghdad - Asharq Al-Awsat
Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi will travel to Washington in July and meet with US President Joe Biden. The two leaders are set to discuss the withdrawal of US troops from Iraq, based on previous talks with former US President Donald Trump. Biden’s administration, however, seeks to tackle means of addressing pro-Iranian factions active in Iraq. Earlier on Sunday, the US forces launched airstrikes targeting pro-Iranian militants near the Albu Kamal district on the Syrian side of the border. The Pentagon said the strikes targeted operational and weapons storage facilities at two locations in Syria and one in Iraq, all near the common border, that had been used by militias engaged in drone attacks against US interests in Iraq. According to sources familiar with the matter, Kadhimi held talks with Head of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) Badr Organization Hadi al-Ameri following the attacks. During the meeting, Ameri stressed that the demands of the Shiite political forces and armed factions changed after the recent US strikes, calling for an immediate and complete withdrawal of the US forces from the country, the sources affirmed. Kadhimi vowed to discuss the matter during his upcoming visit to Washington, the sources added. Iraq’s National Security Adviser Qassem al-Araji affirmed that Kadhimi will address the issue with Biden. “The position of the Iraqi government is clear in this regard. The prime minister condemned the attack, describing it as a violation of the state’s sovereignty. The premier is planning a visit to Washington to set a timetable for US troop withdrawal,” he stressed. Al-Jazeera quoted Araji as noting that his country does not need foreign combat forces on its soil and has enough forces. Earlier in April, the US and Iraq agreed on the withdrawal of all remaining US and coalition combat troops deployed to fight ISIS in the Middle Eastern country. Kadhimi also ordered the formation of a committee that would hold technical talks with the US side to approve “mechanisms and timings” related to the redeployment.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/3054906/kadhimi-biden-meet-soon-discuss-withdrawal-us-troop
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