Pompeo congratulates new Iraqi Prime Minister
WASHINGTON DC, Kurdistan 24) – US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo spoke with Iraq’s new Prime Minister, Mustafa al-Kadhimi, on Wednesday to congratulate him, following his confirmation by the Iraqi parliament earlier that day.
In their telephone call, Pompeo reviewed the most pressing issues facing Iraq. They include “implementing [government] reforms, addressing COVID-19, and fighting corruption,” according to a read-out provided by State Department Spokesperson, Morgan Ortagus.
Notably, Pompeo also informed Kadhimi that the US was extending its sanctions waiver for Iraq’s import of electricity from Iran.
“In support of the new government, the United States will move forward with a 120-day electricity waiver as a display of our desire to help provide the right conditions for success,” Ortagus stated.
The US issued its last such waiver on April 26 for just 30 days, and it was due to expire at the end of this month. As a State Department official explained then, the US had “granted this brief extension of the waiver to allow time for the formation of a credible government,” and “once that government is in place, the Secretary will reassess whether to renew the waiver.”
Kadhimi’s approval marks the end of five months of political stalemate, following the resignation of Adil Abdul Mahdi in November, in response to sustained protests against poor governance in Iraq.
The first two candidates nominated to follow Abdul Mahdi failed to gain parliamentary approval. Mohammed Tawfiq Allawi was seen as too close to Iran and unfriendly to Kurds and Sunni Arabs. When he failed to form a government, they welcomed it.
The next candidate, Adnan al-Zurfi, was seen as too close to the US, and he was opposed by Iraq’s pro-Iranian parties.
However, Kadhimi, formerly director of the Iraqi National Intelligence Service, has proven acceptable to both Washington and Tehran, particularly in light of Iraq’s prolonged and debilitating political stalemate.
Already last month, the US welcomed Kadhimi’s nomination. Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs David Schenker praised him to journalists, explaining, “We think he did a fine job” as intelligence chief.
Read More: US welcomes Kadhimi as Iraqi PM-designate
Iraqi President Barham Salih played a key role in nominating Kadhimi, according to The New York Times, which also explained that the US “seems genuinely committed” to the new Iraqi prime minister, and “quietly helped rally support for him by intimating to the Iraqi political factions that the United States would take several steps to help shore up the country, if Parliament voted for Mr. al-Kadhimi’s government.”
The Trump administration appears more actively engaged in countering Iranian influence in Iraq than its predecessor. Countering Iran in Iraq had been a priority for George W. Bush, and that concern has been renewed. Under Barack Obama’s eight years in office, however, Iran’s role in Iraq grew substantially, and that continued in the first years of the Trump administration, under Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.
Indeed, a Sunni politician, Mithal Alusi, addressing a Washington audience in late 2018, complained bitterly of “the people who represent your country in the embassy and Mr. Brett McGurk” for accommodating Iran’s ever-growing presence in Iraq.
Washington and Baghdad are slated to conduct a major review of their relations next month in a “US-Iraq strategic dialogue.” It will involve all aspects of the relationship, including the US military presence in Iraq.
In January, pro-Iranian elements within Iraq’s parliament led a vote to end the US presence in Iraq, following the assassination of Qasim Soleimani, head of the Quds Force of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps.
However, several significant changes have occurred since then. They include the formation of a new Iraqi government, as well as the resurgence of the so-called Islamic State.
In addition, the forces of the US-led Coalition have consolidated their presence. They have left most, if not all, of Iraq’s smaller military bases and moved into two big bases, far from the Shi’ite militias which act as Iranian proxies.
Read More: US announces plans for summer troop rotation in Iraq
Notably, those two big bases, Erbil and al-Assad, are located in areas inhabited by Kurds and by Sunni Arabs, thus, limiting prospects that Iran might be able to force the US to leave Iraq.
Editing by John J. Catherine