WASHINGTON — As the conflict between the United States and Iran reverberates across the region, Iraq is facing growing pressure from the war’s economic and security fallout, Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein told RFE/RL in Washington.
Iraq has been hit by attacks, disruptions to oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz, and the risk of being drawn deeper into a confrontation between Washington and Tehran. Hussein said Baghdad wants the United States and Iran to return to negotiations and is prepared to facilitate talks if both sides approach Iraq.
At the same time, Hussein described the end of the US military mission in Iraq as “a new chapter” in Iraqi sovereignty and in the relationship between Baghdad and Washington, saying the two countries plan to strengthen ties.
RFE/RL: After two decades, the US military mission in Iraq has ended. What does this historic moment mean for Iraq?
Fuad Hussein: It is a new page in our political situation, because the Americans were there from 2003 in Baghdad. I am talking about Baghdad until 2011. Then they left, and because of the attacks of the terrorists and [Islamic State, also known as ISIS] terrorist groups, once again the Americans came back — but not only the Americans. Many allies came back to Iraq to fight and destroy the terrorist organization. We worked together. We fought together. We are, in the first place, thankful to the American people, to the American government, and to other allies who were with us when we were in need, and we fought together, we destroyed ISIS.
So this is important in our history. And now they left. That doesn’t mean we are going to have a different policy, different relationship. We are going to strengthen our relationship with the United States, but in different other fields, of course: economy, energy, political. But also, we are planning to start discussions with the American side, so that we can have a security agreement on a bilateral level.
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