(AFP) Saturday 17 July 2021 4:57

Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi (AFP)
US President Joe Biden will receive Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kazemi in Washington on July 26, according to what the White House announced.This visit will allow “confirmation of the strategic partnership” between the two countries, according to a White House statement.The US presidency indicated that Biden “also looks forward to strengthening bilateral cooperation with Iraq on political, economic and security issues”, especially “joint efforts to ensure the enduring defeat” of the ” ISIS ” organization .It is assumed that the strategic dialogue between Baghdad and Washington will lead to setting a timetable for the withdrawal of the international coalition fighting the organization. There are still about 3,500 foreign soldiers on Iraqi soil, including 2,500 Americans, but the process of their withdrawal may take years to complete.
About fifty missile or drone attacks have targeted US interests in Iraqsince the beginning of the year. These attacks, which were not claimed by any party, are attributed to the Popular Mobilization Forces, an alliance of pro-Iranian factions that are integrated into the Iraqi government forces.The latest major attack, on the seventh of this month, targeted the Ain al-Assad military base in western Iraq, where 14 missiles landed, without causing any casualties.The United States, for its part, launched strikes at the end of last June on crowd sites in Iraq and Syria, killing about ten fighters loyal to Iran.This raises fears of an open conflict in Iraq, between Baghdad’s allies, the United States and Iran.