The post-international coalition phase in Iraq is at the forefront of Biden and Al-Sudani’s discussions
The post-international coalition phase in Iraq is at the forefront of Biden and Al-Sudani’s discussions
3-24-2024
Washington – On April 15, US President Joe Biden will receive Iraqi Prime Minister Muhammad Shia al-Sudani as part of an official visit to Washington, according to a White House and Iraqi statement issued on Friday, and the two parties are expected to discuss the future of the international coalition in Iraq.
The visit comes after several chapters of tension between Washington and Baghdad, which demands an end to the mission of the international coalition to combat ISIS.
Since mid-October, against the backdrop of the ongoing war in Gaza between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas movement, pro-Iranian factions have targeted American forces stationed in Iraq and Syria as part of the international coalition with several missile and drone attacks.
In response, Washington launched a series of attacks against these factions, the last of which was in Baghdad and led to the killing of a leader in a pro-Iranian faction.
White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement that President Biden and Sudanese are scheduled to discuss “cooperation on priority common issues and strengthening the strong bilateral partnership” between the two countries.
The two parties are scheduled to discuss, according to the statement, “our joint commitment to ensuring the defeat of ISIS and the development of the work of the military mission nearly ten years after the formation of the international coalition.”
The two parties will also discuss the strategic partnership between Iraq and the United States, in addition to financial reforms, economic growth, and modernization of the energy infrastructure in the oil-rich country.
This is Sudanese’s first official visit to Washington since he took office in October 2022.
A statement issued by the media office of the Iraqi Prime Minister stated that the visit aims “to discuss the horizon of the future relationship in the post-international coalition to fight ISIS, and the best ways to move to a comprehensive partnership between Iraq and the United States of America in light of the strategic framework agreement between the two countries in the political, economic and financial fields.” cultural, educational and security.”
The statement added, “Al-Sudani and Biden will consult on a range of issues during the visit, including the most important regional issues and efforts to establish stability in the region.”
The United States deploys about 900 soldiers in Syria and 2,500 in neighboring Iraq as part of the international coalition established by the Americans in 2014 to combat ISIS.
Washington launched a campaign of responses to the killing of three American soldiers in a strike in Jordan near the border with Syria in an attack in late January attributed to factions loyal to Iran.
As part of this response, in early February, Washington launched a drone strike in Baghdad that killed the leader of the Hezbollah Brigades, Abu Baqir al-Saadi.
But recent weeks have witnessed relative calm between the two parties, while Washington and Baghdad resumed negotiations in mid-February aimed at discussing the future of the international coalition forces in Iraq.
The first round of bilateral dialogue, which was held in Baghdad on January 27, led to an agreement to form a joint military committee to review and end the coalition’s mission and move to bilateral security relations.
The Iraqi authorities hope to obtain a timetable regarding a gradual reduction in the presence of foreign forces on Iraqi territory.
The talks came due to pressure on the Sudanese government from the Iraqi armed factions allied with Iran and the political parties associated with them, as they demanded the removal of international coalition forces from Iraq, following Washington’s implementation of retaliatory strikes in Iraq that resulted in the killing of prominent leaders in those factions.
Tehran, an important trading partner of Baghdad, has strong political influence in Iraq. Its partners, including parties and factions, support the current government and have a majority in Parliament.
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