Iraqi Prime Minister Muhammad Shiaa Al-Sudani informed Western officials he met in Munich that his country is keen to end the deployment of the US-led international coalition forces to fight ISIS.
Al-Sudani was in Germany to attend the Munich Security Conference. He met with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, British Foreign Secretary David Cameron, US Vice President Kamala Harris, and members of the US Congress.
The Prime Minister stressed that Iraq is continuing to “review” its relations with the international coalition to pave the way for its final withdrawal from his country.
Stoltenberg said after his meeting with Al-Sudani that cooperation in providing consultations and training to the Iraqi security forces will be expanded to include Interior Ministry employees.
Meanwhile, Washington spoke of a “permanent” bilateral security partnership with Baghdad.
Baghdad and Washington often express different positions regarding the crisis related to the deployment of American forces. The crisis erupted three months ago following attacks launched by Iraqi armed factions on American bases in Iraq and Syria.
Baghdad announced last January that it had agreed with Washington to begin discussions about the future of the coalition with the aim of setting a timetable for its withdrawal and ending its mission.
Meetings took place between Iraq and the United States to discuss the extent of the threat posed by ISIS, operational requirements on the ground, and strengthening the capabilities of the Iraqi security forces.
Iraq has come to view the deployment of the coalition as a source of instability due to the strikes carried out by the United States against Iraqi armed factions, which in turn attack its bases. Attacks have increased since Israel launched its war on Gaza on October 7.
The US Department of Defense denied on two occasions during the past two months that the ongoing discussions between Baghdad and Washington dealt with withdrawal.
On Friday, Al-Sudani met with Vice President Harris, stressing that Iraq's position is “steadfast with regard to its sovereignty.”
A statement issued by his office said that officials agreed to continue the dialogue through the US-Iraqi Supreme Military Committee to end the mission of the anti-ISIS coalition in Iraq now that the Iraqi armed forces have sufficiently developed their capabilities and after the terrorist threat has receded. .
A White House statement said that Harris “urged the Iraqi government to prevent attacks against American personnel and expressed her appreciation for the Prime Minister's efforts to date.”
The statement, which did not mention the withdrawal of US forces, said: “I have stated that the United States has no higher priority than the safety of American personnel, and will act, as needed, in self-defense.”
Harris and Al-Sudani also affirmed their “mutual interest in a strong and lasting partnership as stipulated in the Strategic Framework Agreement between the United States and Iraq.”
President Joe Biden renewed his invitation to Sudanese to visit the White House.
In a departure from his predecessors, the Prime Minister has not yet visited the United States since coming to power in October 2022. Some observers believe that the visit has not yet been planned due to Washington’s reservations about the presence of pro-Iranian groups in the Iraqi government. .
