Biden talks with Al-Kazemi about missile attacks on Iraqi and coalition forces
The White House said that US President Joe Biden and Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kazemi discussed during a phone call Tuesday the recent missile attacks on Iraqi and coalition forces, and agreed that those responsible should be held accountable.
According to the statement issued by the White House, the two sides discussed “the importance of advancing the strategic dialogue between the two countries and expanding bilateral cooperation on other major issues.”
Biden agreed to remain in close contact with the Iraqi prime minister over the coming days and weeks.
For his part, the Iraqi Prime Minister said on Twitter that he discussed in contact with the President Biden the development of bilateral relations and the continuation of cooperation in the fight against ISIS.
Al-Kazemi added, “We affirmed the work to continue the strategic dialogue between our two countries on the basis of Iraqi national sovereignty.”
During the cabinet session, Tuesday, Al-Kazemi stressed that Iraq will not be an arena for settling scores.
He stressed that “the absurd missiles are an attempt to impede the government’s progress and embarrass them, but our security services will reach the perpetrators, and they will be brought before public opinion.”
He pointed out that “pre-emptive operations against terrorism are continuing and escalating to eliminate the remaining terrorist holes and outposts”. We salute our heroic forces of all kinds, while they are stationed day and night in pursuit of terrorist cells.
Al-Kazemi’s words came hours after rockets were fired at the US embassy in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad.
The Balad air base in Salah al-Din Governorate, north of the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, was hit by missile strikes on Saturday night, wounding an Iraqi contractor with the army, according to a correspondent, “Sky News Arabia”.
Security sources revealed that two missiles targeted the US military wing of the American company “Saliburter” at the Balad air base, which includes American contractors, while a third missile did not succeed in hitting their target.
The attack on the Balad base comes less than a week after several rocket-propelled grenades landed in and around Erbil airport.
And Western military and diplomatic sites are constantly exposed to missile and bomb attacks in Iraq, and the Americans and Iraqi officials attribute these attacks to armed factions close to Iran.
Missiles continued even after the US-led international coalition, which helped Iraqi forces defeat ISIS, was reduced in 2017.
The number of foreign military personnel in Iraq has nearly halved, and it currently stands at 3,500 people.
The International Coalition continues to assist the Iraqi forces with intelligence information and air strikes in combating ISIS sleeper cells in the desert and mountainous areas.
