عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Arab World

Iraq PM’s Visit to US Generates Positive Impact at Home

US President Donald Trump receives Iraq's Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi in the Oval Office at the White House (Prime Minister Media Office)
US President Donald Trump receives Iraq's Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi in the Oval Office at the White House (Prime Minister Media Office)
TT
TT

Iraq PM’s Visit to US Generates Positive Impact at Home

US President Donald Trump receives Iraq's Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi in the Oval Office at the White House (Prime Minister Media Office)
US President Donald Trump receives Iraq's Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi in the Oval Office at the White House (Prime Minister Media Office)

Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi's recent visit to the US has been praised by some Iraqi factions but strongly rejected by a number of Iran-affiliated groups.

Member of the parliamentary foreign relations committee Dhafer al-Ani said that despite the unjustified exaggeration and intentional underestimation of its achievements, the Prime Minister's visit was “successful by all standards."

Ani told Asharq Al-Awsat that ripping the benefits of the visit depends on the government’s ability to carry out effective reforms which will enable it to win the confidence of the international community and the support of the Iraqis.

Dean of the Political Science Faculty at al-Mustansiriya University Khaled Abdelilah, in remarks to the newspaper, said some Iraqi parties demanded Kadhimi for guarantees on the withdrawal of US troops from Iraq at a time when Washington discusses means to fight ISIS.

He indicated that signing an agreement with a major US company worth over one billion dollars is the key to bringing back US companies to Iraq.

Kadhimi seeks to gain the support he needs for his government. He is after bilateral deals by activating the economic, oil, aid, and investment agreement signed between the two parties.

The head of the Iraqi Advisory Council, Farhad Alaaldin, confirmed to Asharq Al-Awsat that the strategic dialogue between Baghdad and Washington remains the most important aspect of the visit.

Alaaldin indicated that other major issues were discussed such as oil, the economy, and the coronavirus pandemic, especially that the visit is the result of the first round of talks that began in June.

He indicated that the US stressed the importance of the strategic dialogue given that the Iraqi government needs the support of Washington to face the financial and economic challenges as well as its fight against ISIS.

However, Alaaldin pointed out that this support is not unconditional, especially after the parliament’s decision to remove US forces from Iraq. He also believes that during his talks in Washington, Kadhimi was under tremendous political pressure from the Iraqi forces that reject improved relations with the US.

Most Viewed

 
 
Arab World

MSF Suspends Operations at Key Hospital in Sudan's Capital

FILE - South Sudanese people sit outside a nutrition clinic at a transit center in Renk, South Sudan, on May 16, 2023. (AP Photo/Sam Mednick, File)
FILE - South Sudanese people sit outside a nutrition clinic at a transit center in Renk, South Sudan, on May 16, 2023. (AP Photo/Sam Mednick, File)
TT
TT

MSF Suspends Operations at Key Hospital in Sudan's Capital

FILE - South Sudanese people sit outside a nutrition clinic at a transit center in Renk, South Sudan, on May 16, 2023. (AP Photo/Sam Mednick, File)
FILE - South Sudanese people sit outside a nutrition clinic at a transit center in Renk, South Sudan, on May 16, 2023. (AP Photo/Sam Mednick, File)

Medical aid agency MSF said on Friday it has been forced to suspend its activities at one of the few remaining hospitals in southern Khartoum due to repeated attacks, cutting off yet another lifeline for those who remain in the Sudanese capital.
War has been raging in Sudan since April 2023, sparked by a power struggle between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) ahead of a planned transition to civilian rule, triggering the world's largest displacement and hunger crisis.
The hospital, which lies in territory controlled by the RSF, helped treat the victims of frequent airstrikes by the Sudanese Armed Forces, as well as hundreds of malnourished women and children in an area where two neighborhoods have been judged at risk of famine, reported Reuters.
"In the 20 months MSF teams have worked alongside hospital staff and volunteers, Bashair Hospital has experienced repeated incidents of armed fighters entering the hospital with weapons and threatening medical staff, often demanding fighters be treated before other patients," MSF said in a statement.
"Despite extensive engagements with all stakeholders, these attacks have continued in recent months. MSF has now taken the very difficult decision to suspend all medical activities in the hospital."
The fighting in Sudan has cut off up to 80% of hospitals in conflict areas, where millions who cannot afford to escape the violence remain. Civilians face frequent air and artillery fire and hunger as supplies are blocked by both warring parties and prices skyrocket.
Medical facilities, including MSF-supported ones that have suspended operations, have frequently come under attack by RSF soldiers demanding treatment or looting supplies. Bashair Hospital has served more than 25,000 people, MSF said, including 9,000 hurt by blasts, gunshot wounds, and other violence.
"Sometimes dozens of people arrived at the hospital at the same time after shelling or airstrikes on residential areas and markets," MSF said in the statement, citing an incident on Sunday where an airstrike one kilometer away drove 50 people to the emergency room, 12 of them already dead.