US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin makes surprise visit to Iraq
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Chia al-Soudani (d) receives US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin (g), in Baghdad, March 7, 2023. via REUTERS - IRAQI PRIME MINISTER MEDIA OFFIC
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US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin arrived in Baghdad on Tuesday March 7 for a surprise visit aimed at "
reaffirming the strategic partnership
" between the United States and Iraq, he announced on his account. Twitter.
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“
Landing in Baghdad.
I am here to reaffirm the strategic partnership between the United States and Iraq as we move towards a more secure, stable and sovereign Iraq
,” the Pentagon chief said on his Twitter account.
The visit comes at a time when Iraq commemorates twenty years of the American invasion against the regime of Saddam Hussein.
Wheels down in Baghdad.
I'm here to reaffirm the US-Iraq strategic partnership as we move toward a more secure, stable, and sovereign Iraq.
pic.twitter.com/hJVJjefuyv
— Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III (@SecDef) March 7, 2023
On March 20, 2003, American troops launched their offensive, supported by an international coalition.
The invasion had opened one of the bloodiest pages in Iraqi history, marked by years of conflict and political instability.
Lloyd Austin, the most senior official in President Joe Biden's administration to visit Iraq, took part in the 2003 invasion of Iraq and was named commander of US forces in the country in 2010, before oversee the withdrawal of troops in 2011.
Today, Baghdad maintains very strong ties with Washington, particularly on the military level, even if over the years the Iraqi power has become an unfailing ally of Iran.
Alliances sometimes requiring Iraqi officials to engage in a delicate balancing act.
►
Read also The powerful Iranian general Soleimani killed by the United States in Iraq
On Tuesday in Baghdad, Lloyd Austin met with Defense Minister Thabet al-Abbassi and Prime Minister Mohamed Chia al-Soudani.
“
I am optimistic about the future of our partnership.
The United States will continue to strengthen and expand our partnership in support of Iraqi security, stability and sovereignty
,” the US minister told reporters after his talks.
For his part, the Iraqi Prime Minister stressed his government's desire to "
strengthen and consolidate
" its relations with Washington, while saying that it seeks to "
maintain balanced relations
" with regional and international powers.
Some 2,500 American soldiers are stationed in Iraq as part of the international coalition against the Islamic State (IS) group.
Lloyd Austin assured that American forces could remain if requested by the Iraqi authorities.
"
But we must be able to operate safely to continue this vital work
," warned the Pentagon chief, as in recent years bases hosting the coalition had been targeted by rockets and armed drones, never claimed, but often attributed to pro-Iranian armed factions.
“
I would therefore like to thank the Prime Minister and the Minister of Defense for their commitment today to guarantee the protection of the coalition forces (...) against state and non-state actors
“, he launched.
At the end of 2021, Iraq announced the "
end of the combat mission
" of the international coalition, which remains officially deployed on Iraqi soil with a training and advisory role.
Baghdad has been the scene of intense diplomatic activity in recent weeks.
Iraqi leaders successively received the heads of diplomacy from Saudi Arabia, Iran and Russia, before the visit in early March of UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.
(
With agencies
)
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See also Iraq formalizes the end of the United States' "combat mission" on its territory
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UNITED STATES
Iraq
Defense