Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammad Shiaa Al-Sudani said that the justification for the presence of the international coalition against ISIS, which consists of 86 countries, has ended, after Iraq was able to defeat the terrorist organization.
Sudani was speaking during a meeting with media correspondents on Tuesday night in Washington, where he met with US President Joe Biden and a number of officials.
In response to a question by Asharq Al-Awsat regarding the controversy surrounding the presence of US combat forces in Iraq, and whether the discussions he held with the American administration included a clear schedule for their withdrawal, Al-Sudani said: “There are no combat forces in Iraq for them to withdraw,” indicating that the US forces have left the country, and only an advisory body was still present.
The Iraqi premier added that the joint military technical committees were discussing mechanisms for ending the international coalition’s mission in Iraq and moving to a bilateral relationship between Iraq and the coalition members, mainly the US.
“Iraq in 2024 is different from Iraq in 2014 when the work of the coalition forces began,” Sudani said, noting that ending the work of the coalition was an Iraqi demand, part of the government program that was approved by Parliament, and the subject of discussion between the Iraqi government and the United States since August 2023.
He also stressed that the escalation between Iran and Israel affects the stability of Iraq and the region, saying: “We will use our legal and diplomatic rights to protect our lands from any aggression.”
The Iraqi Prime Minister denied that his country had received reports or indications from Iran about launching missiles and drones in the attack on Israel.
According to Sudani, the cause of the current escalation was the failure to address the Palestinian issue, as well as the continued Israeli aggression on Gaza and the deliberate targeting of civilians.
Asked about US promises to lift US Treasury sanctions against Iraqi banks involved in money laundering operations on behalf of Iran, Sudani said that the current government has worked to implement financial and banking reforms during the last period, and has achieved progress in controlling more than 80 percent of the financial transactions conducted by Iraqi banks in accordance with international standards.
The Iraqi Prime Minister announced that his country has launched promising projects and set a clear timetable to invest in liquefied gas and natural gas through contracts with companies operating in the Kurdistan region, with the aim of achieving self-sufficiency within a period of three to five years and discussing new oil and gas projects with US companies in Houston and Michigan.
