In light of the missile attacks, explosive devices and bomb messages, Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kazemi went to the United States on a risky visit, with an open and hidden threat by the Shiite factions to pressure him to discuss the file of the withdrawal of US forces from the country at the White House.
Al-Kazemi hopes from his visit to Washington to obtain American aid to advance the security, economic and health reality in the country, but America's message - according to observers - indicates that there will be no assistance in any field with the continued missile attacks on its interests in Iraq.
The issue of completing the discussions of what is known as the strategic dialogue tops the agenda of the visit of the Iraqi delegation headed by Al-Kazemi to Washington, where the delegations of the two countries will hold the second round of this dialogue on Wednesday, headed by Foreign Ministers Fouad Hussein and Mike Pompeo.
"The second phase of the strategic dialogue scheduled to be held in Washington is not the last, and there will be other rounds," said Ahmed Mulla Talal, a spokesman for the prime minister, during a press conference in Baghdad.
However, he said that "the government's approach is to support the stability of the region and not to engage in the policy of axes," without referring to the repercussions of the missile attacks, which increased significantly in conjunction with the visit.
Legitimate resistance
Within one week, US interests in Iraq were subjected to more than 10 missile attacks and explosive devices, according to official statements.
The Hezbollah Brigades - which Washington accuses of being behind the attacks - described the bombing and targeting of American sites as "honorable resistance," and stressed that "the underestimation and the intention to stay the Americans for a longer period necessitated the continuation of the resistance operations, which will increase in the coming days."
Regarding these attacks, the spokesman for the Iraqi Hezbollah Brigades, Muhammad Mohi, said - during his speech to Al Jazeera Net - that they are not related to Al-Kazemi's visit to Washington, as much as they are related to the US administration’s challenge to the will of the Iraqi people and the Iraqi parliament’s decision on the withdrawal of its forces from the country.
Mohy said, "Iraq has recently been living in an unstable situation as a result of US interventions and major crimes, which confirm the Trump administration's contempt for the Iraqi people, and is clearly working to consolidate its forces' stay in the country for a long time."
Easy goals
For his part, strategic expert Hussein al-Kinani pointed out that "the American convoys that usually travel by land between the Iraqi provinces are easy targets for the Shiite factions," considering that "these factions have increased the frequency of their attacks recently, to send a message to Washington in conjunction with the visit that Al-Kazemi is conducting there." Its content is to force the Iraqi and American delegations to seriously discuss the future presence of American forces in the country.
Al-Kinani warned - in his speech to Al-Jazeera Net - to what he described as leaks stating that "Al-Kazemi does not wish to open the file of the American presence during this visit, because there are discussions held between the two countries in this regard and general lines for security and political cooperation have been drawn up under the name of strategic dialogue."
Al-Kinani said that "this file is a demand of political forces that was the reason for Al-Kazemi's arrival as prime minister," referring to the possibility of these forces pulling the rug from under it if it does not meet their demands.
And he played down the possibility of a regional role standing behind the increase in the frequency of attacks against US interests in Iraq, but he emphasized the presence of neighboring countries that have an interest in the US withdrawal from Iraq.
Al-Kazemi's future
Mohi warned that "the Al-Kazemi government will be held accountable before the House of Representatives and the Iraqi people in the event that it does not implement the decision of Parliament and the people, and submits to the dictates of the United States." It is likely that this file will not be discussed by Al-Kazemi during his visit to Washington, because "the Trump administration imposed the agenda And the files that will be discussed. "
Observers on this matter suggested that the Shiite factions would ignite Iraq if Al-Kazemi returns from Washington and he did not bring with him a draft agreement on scheduling the withdrawal of US forces from the country, noting that “the leaders of these factions will consult their political wings in Parliament regarding the interrogation of Al-Kazemi and withdraw confidence from him, before the date Holding early elections scheduled for the sixth of next June.