New Iraqi Foreign Minister Meets US Ambassador to Baghdad

US Army soldiers from 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, Task Force-Iraq, man a defensive position at Forward Operating Base Union III in Baghdad, Iraq [Handout/US Army/Staff Sgt Desmond Cassell/Task Force-Iraq Public Affairs/Reuters]

Newly appointed Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein met Monday with US ambassador to Baghdad Matthew Tueller in his first official talks after assuming position. During the meeting Hussein confirmed the ministry's initiation to complete preparations for the start of the strategic talks between Baghdad and Washington.

However, Iraq’s readiness seems a little bit exaggerated in light of Iraqi divisions over the names of representatives in the delegation, which is tasked to hold talks with Washington.

Iraqi Forces Alliance MP Mohammed al-Karbouli told Asharq Al-Awsat that his bloc opposed that Sunnis were absent from the delegation team, which would hold talks with the US.

Also, there is a dispute regarding the schedule of such talks as all Iraqi parties, factions and sides demand to be informed about its content prior to accepting it.

At the official level, a statement issued by the Foreign Ministry Monday said that Tueller expressed his aspiration for the relations between the "two countries to witness a qualitative rise in the interests of the two friendly peoples."

For his part, Hussein affirmed the depth of strategic relations between Baghdad and Washington, and the importance of activating bilateral cooperation to achieve the interests of both friendly countries.

The statement pointed out that the ministry started to complete preparations for starting with the strategic talks with Washington, stressing that it represents an important station that would frame the priorities to Baghdad and Washington.

The terms used in the Foreign Ministry statement, such as “friendly countries” and “strategic relations” seems to upset some Iraqi parties.

Sunni Arabs and Kurds support the presence of such relations, however, Shiite parties do not share the same enthusiasm towards Washington.

Some Shiites demand the full withdrawal of US forces or the scheduling of their presence in Iraq as a condition for holding friendly relations with Washington. Other Iraqi Shiite armed factions, which are close to Iran, even refuse any relations with the Americans.

“It is clear that Iran is affecting the position of those Shiites,” dean of the Political Science Faculty at al-Mustansiriya University Dr. Khaled Abdel-Ilah told Asharq Al-Awsat.

He said the inter-Iraqi dispute over the strategic talks between Iraq and the US is normal in the presence of three Iraqi entities: Shiites, Kurds, and Sunnis.

Last Saturday the Iraqi House of Representatives had granted confidence to the candidates of the remaining seven vacant ministerial portfolios, including the Foreign Ministry.

The US-Iraqi talks will take place on June 11. It will be held via virtual conference, over the Internet, because of the new coronavirus pandemic.