Iraq and the United States are expected to start strategic talks on June 10, Asharq Al-Awsat learned from a political source.
“Talks will not be at the level of foreign ministers,” the source indicated, saying negotiating teams have been divided into political, military and economic groups.
This dialogue was agreed upon late 2019 under the tenure of former Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi’s government.
Kadhimi’s supporters, especially Sunnis and Kurds, believe the outcomes of the dialogue will be in their favor
Foreign policy remains subject to the US-Iranian relationship, which the American Wall Street Journal considered an attempt to balance the two opposing powers and keep the country from becoming their battleground.
According to the newspaper, “the US and Iran have quietly coalesced behind an Iraqi politician both see as critical to preventing further chaos in his country.”
It stressed that the Prime Minister has already made good initiatives for demonstrators who have opposed Iranian influence and groups loyal to Tehran, which considers protests a US conspiracy.
Although Kadhimi makes friends, even with his enemies, yet his opponents believe that he must be cautious in pleasing both enemies and friends.
The newspaper noted that the challenges facing Kadhimi are enormous. “Despite the decline in popular protests that forced his predecessor to resign, but the public anger is greater than ever.”
Dean of the Political Science Faculty at al-Mustansiriya University Dr. Khaled Abdel-Ilah told Asharq Al-Awsat that the US and Iraq aim to discuss the nature of their relationship especially in the aftermath of the security and strategic framework agreements in 2008.
Despite signing both agreements, the US hasn’t determined its relation with Iraq, “whether it is a friend, a partner or an ally.”
Therefore, he added, the upcoming dialogue will determine their ties.
The Professor expected Iraq to become a US partner, mainly after US President Donald Trump and his Secretary of State Mike Pompeo held phone conversations with Kadhimi on restricting Iraq’s weapons to state control.
Head of the Iraqi Center for Political Thought Ihsan al-Shammari told Asharq Al-Awsat that the US had wanted to hold this dialogue several years ago.
“Iraq thought that the strategic framework agreement hasn’t been properly implemented over the past years,” he noted.
The issue of the US withdrawal from Iraq is part of the agreement, which, according to Shammari, is mainly a re-positioning of forces, while defining their tasks with a gradual withdrawal of troops whose presence is no longer necessary.
