US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin yesterday made an unannounced visit to the Iraqi capital, where he vowed to continue the fight against the Islamic State (IS) group until the extremists are defeated.
Austin, whose visit came just days before the 20th anniversary of the US-led invasion that ousted Saddam Hussein as Iraqi president, said in a statement later that he held talks with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani and Iraqi Minister of Defense Thabet Muhammad al-Abbasi.
Al-Sudani’s office said he and Austin discussed cooperation between their countries in the fight against the Islamic State group.
Photo: Reuters
The Iraqi prime minister reaffirmed his government’s “keenness to strengthen and consolidate relations with the United States of America at various levels and fields.”
Austin was greeted on touchdown in Baghdad by Major General Matthew McFarlane, the US commander in Iraq, which is home to hundreds of US troops helping in the fight against the militant Islamic State group.
“We’ll continue working to accomplish this mission together. Through the global coalition to defeat Daesh, we liberated more than 50,000 square kilometers from Daesh and freed more than 4.5 million Iraqis from their cruel grip,” Austin said, using an Arabic name for the Islamic State.
“The United States remains committed to this fight in support of Iraq’s security and the security of the entire region,” he said.
Austin also said that US forces are ready to remain in Iraq at the invitation of its government, adding that these forces are operating in a non-combat and advisory role in support of the “Iraqi-led fight against terrorism.”
“This is a critical mission and we’re proud to support our Iraqi partners,” said Austin, one of the most senior officials of US President Joe Biden’s administration to visit Iraq in the past few years.
Since the US-led invasion in 2003 that removed Saddam from power, Iraq has been a point of friction between the US and Iran. Tehran has widely expanded its influence in Iraq over the past 20 years.
“I’m here to reaffirm the US-Iraq strategic partnership as we move toward a more secure, stable, and sovereign Iraq,” Austin wrote on Twitter upon arrival.
“We continue to believe that Iraq’s greater integration with its Arab partners in the region will deliver increased stability, security and prosperity, and it will pay dividends not only for Iraqi citizens, but for all people of the region,” Austin said, referring to Iraq’s improving its relations with Arab countries.
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