Al-Kazemi identifies “difficult questions that remain unresolved” with America
Al-Kazemi identifies “difficult questions that remain unresolved” with America
08/23/2020 11:16:28
{International: Al-Furat News} The Prime Minister, Mustafa Al-Kazemi, identified what he described as “difficult questions” with the United States of America.
The prime minister is trying to create a different model for Iraq that emphasizes sovereignty, combating corruption, and a sustainable military training relationship with the United States, the Washington Post said about him.
Al-Kazemi explained his vision in a lengthy interview Thursday, after his meeting at the White House with President Donald Trump, and it seems that he and Trump are comfortable at the present time with a military relationship in which several thousand American forces remain in Iraq to train local forces, without any timetable so far for their withdrawal.
Given the United States’ history of military expansion in Iraq, followed by a hasty retreat, this approach is a welcome change. It is clear that the combat role of the United States there is over, but it appears that limited military support will continue and that is the right balance.
Despite all of Trump’s past speeches about Iraq, he was surprisingly friendly in his meeting with Al-Kazemi, describing him as a “very respectable gentleman” and describing the relationship between the United States and Iraq as “very good.”
The newspaper adds that Al-Kazemi is an interesting new face in the region, as he was head of intelligence and then became interim prime minister last May, after months of anti-corruption protests by Iraqi youth that paralyzed the country.
“We don’t need American combat forces in Iraq,” Al-Kazemi said, now that ISIS is defeated. “We need American forces that focus on training and capacity building.”
He added that former Iraqi leaders were “shy” about recognizing military support from the United States, “We believe this relationship is not an embarrassment,” adding, “It is something we should be proud of.”
Al-Kazemi explained that some difficult questions remain unresolved, including the United States’ use of Iraqi airspace and the “road map” for the redeployment of American forces, and that these issues will be addressed in a joint “strategic dialogue” between the two countries.
Al-Kazemi also seeks to improve relations with Saudi Arabia. He said that he discussed the Saudi-Iraqi coordination on oil and economic policy with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, in a phone call on Wednesday, one day before his meeting with Trump.
Al-Kazemi talks about a European-like future for his region, with freer flows of capital and technology. Next week, he plans to meet with the leaders of Egypt and Jordan in Amman, Jordan, to discuss this approach, and he will soon travel to Saudi Arabia. When asked about the recent normalization of relations between the United Arab Emirates and Israel, Al-Kazemi said with an accurate answer: “This is an Emirati decision, and we should not interfere.”
Asked about his agenda, Al-Kazemi listed a series of initiatives dealing with public health and the economy. But he said that in order to make progress in every area, “the most important issue is corruption.” Sadly, such reforms are rarely successful in the modern Middle East. But in Iraq and across the region, public anger at politicians is growing as usual.
alforatnews.com
