PM: The Iraqi-American relationship is the key to stability in the Middle East

Baghdad - INA

Prime Minister Muhammad Shiaa Al-Sudani confirmed, in an article in Foreign Affairs magazine, that the Iraqi-American relationship is the key to stability in the Middle East, while indicating that his meeting with US President Joe Biden on April 15 during his upcoming visit to Washington is an opportunity to develop the Iraqi-America partnership on a more sustainable basis.

The Prime Minister said in his article, a copy of which was received by the Iraqi News Agency (INA): “Two decades ago, the United States helped the Iraqi people to overthrow Saddam Hussein’s dictatorial regime and lay the foundations for a democratic system. This enabled the Iraqis to taste freedom for the first time and eliminate oppression.” "The misuse of resources has caused problems not only for my country but also for the wider region."

He added, "During these two decades, Iraqi-American relations went through multiple stages of ups and downs, enthusiasm and apathy, and from consensus of positions and opinions at times, to disagreement and tension at other times, but despite that, there remained a clear and impeccable awareness between the leadership of the two countries that their relationship will remain a strategic relationship." “It has many commonalities that serve the interests of both sides.”

The Prime Minister continued in his article, “We defeated terrorism together, and security cooperation allowed us to rebuild the Iraqi army and effective security forces. Today, we need to protect our strategic partnership by bringing it into a new phase, a phase that supports Iraq’s sovereignty and independence without abandoning the fruitful cooperation between Baghdad and Washington.

The Prime Minister said: “In late January, we formed the Supreme Military Committee, composed of senior military officials from both Iraq and the United States, to assess the continuing threat of the so-called ISIS, the capabilities of the Iraqi security services and operational conditions across the country. This led to Effort to reach an agreement between all partners to end the international coalition in a gradual and orderly manner according to an agreed timetable. (The coalition was formed in 2014 to fight ISIS, and includes 86 countries, led by the United States and invited by Iraq) From now on, the Supreme Military Committee will develop a roadmap for relations "These moves, in contrast to downgrading our relationship with the United States, will allow us to move to a new phase of partnership, based on cooperation that goes beyond mere security and military affairs."

A good balance 

The Prime Minister stressed that “the Iraqi-American relationship is the key to the stability of the Middle East, as well as to the prosperity of the peoples of the region. We need time to manage internal complexities and reach political understandings with various parties. The decision to make war and peace must be an exclusive matter for the state, and it cannot Any other party can claim this right. With the help of its friends especially the United States - Iraq was able to defeat the most ruthless terrorist organization in modern history. Now, only small groups of ISIS remain; they are pursued by our security forces, across deserts, mountains and in caves, but they "It no longer poses a threat to the state."

The Prime Minister noted, “The war against ISIS has greatly enhanced the experience of our security forces, making them among the best armies in the fight against terrorism. Therefore, it is time to turn the page and redirect our resources and capabilities from waging wars towards promoting development. Final victory over terrorism cannot be achieved without real development, including a decent level of health care, education and other basic services. This is the goal of the program that my government has developed and is determined to implement to advance economic and financial reforms, promote human rights, empower women, and promote the principles of freedom and democracy in general."

The Prime Minister added in his article, “It is also crucial that we combat corruption, the other face of terrorism, because its impact is no less devastating and ensure that the Iraqi people’s money is put toward achieving meaningful goals. We must also diversify our economy away from dependence on oil, even as we We benefit from our position as the second largest oil exporting country in OPEC (in addition to having significant natural gas reserves). To this end, we are advancing cross-border projects (such as industrial parks with neighboring countries) and the development route, which works to connect the Gulf region with Turkey and Europe.

As part of From this effort, we now have an opportunity to transform the relationship between Iraq and the United States from a unilateral relationship to a comprehensive relationship.”

The Prime Minister stressed, “The time has come to activate all the provisions of the Strategic Framework Agreement that Iraq and the United States signed in 2008. This agreement goes beyond security and military affairs only, which have dominated the relationship for most of the past two decades, and is characterized by conditions for cooperation in areas such as the economy, investment, climate, agriculture, industry, technology, and education given their collective sacrifices, both the Iraqi and American people deserve to see continued benefits from this partnership. Iraq’s current stability should encourage American companies to participate in major development projects in energy, communications, housing, health care, education, transportation, and more. Our need extends Bringing American expertise and technology to the clean energy and green economy, as we aim to develop sustainable and renewable sectors. 

The Strategic Framework Agreement created the legal foundation for these activities. By investing in them, we can position Iraq to strengthen its democracy, strengthen the state, and strengthen the rule of law, the pillars that will allow us to restore Iraq to its historical splendor.

Iraq First 

The Prime Minister said in his article: “The guiding principle of our foreign relations is “Iraq First” building strong partnerships based on common interests with friendly countries in our region and beyond. 

This principle means that we approach every province on an equal footing, so that Iraq does not become An arena for any external actor to settle scores. Iraq must be dealt with on the basis of sovereignty and mutual respect, and not as an alternative to other conflicts. This is also why we seek to restore Iraq’s pivotal role in the Middle East, and to take advantage of our strategic position. We welcome the opportunity to work with the United States to defuse crises to reduce tensions in the Middle East, however, we are determined to avoid falling into conflict between two of our partners, Iran and the United States.”

The Prime Minister explained in his article, “We consider that a comprehensive reduction in the escalation in the Middle East is in the interest of both Iraq and the United States. This requires above all an urgent end to the war in the Gaza Strip, and respect for the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people. When I visit Washington and meet with President Joe Biden on April 15 will be an opportunity to put the US-Iraqi partnership on a new, more sustainable footing. Our discussions will emphasize the continuing importance of our economic relationship, cooperation in combating money laundering and terrorist financing, and the use of political and diplomatic tools to defuse regional tensions. Counterterrorism will remain a key topic for both Our governments, we recognize and appreciate the critical role of the United States and other members of the international coalition to combat ISIS in defeating terrorism. This support has helped Iraq achieve stability, take major strides in democracy and the rule of law, and ensure the government’s monopoly on the use of force. However, we believe that the time has come for “Our relationship is broader, while recognizing the growing capabilities of our forces to defend Iraq, ensure the safety of its citizens, and contribute in essential ways to building a prosperous and stable Iraq. In its new form, our partnership can represent a source of mutual benefit for both our countries and a driving force in achieving stability in the Middle East.”