The United States seeks sustainable survival in Iraq...and soon a third round of negotiations

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[size=52]The United States seeks sustainable survival in Iraq...and soon a third round of negotiations[/size]

[size=45]Baghdad/ Tamim Al-Hassan[/size]
[size=45]It is believed that a new nucleus for the so-called “Iraqi resistance” will be created by the Al-Nujaba movement, which recently rejected the formula that appears to be adopted between Iraq and the United States, which includes a long-term relationship. For more than 20 days, the armed factions have stopped attacks against the American forces in Iraq and Syria, according to What Washington says.[/size]
[size=45]But Al-Nujaba, led by Akram Al-Kaabi, described the current military “calm” as a “tactic” for “repositioning,” according to a statement from the latter.[/size]
[size=45]Gradually, the loud voices calling for the “quick expulsion” of American forces began to decline, especially with Parliament’s failure to legislate a law in this regard.[/size]
[size=45]On the other hand, Foreign Minister Fouad Hussein confirmed yesterday that negotiations with the American side are continuing regarding the presence of international coalition forces in Iraq.[/size]
[size=45]Two weeks ago, Baghdad brought Washington back to the negotiating table again after suspending the dialogues for several days, due to the bombing of an American base in Jordan last month.[/size]
[size=45]Fouad Hussein said, “The negotiations are continuing and the second round has ended, and we hope to have other rounds.”[/size]
[size=45]Hussein suggested that there would be a round of discussions in Washington during the visit of Prime Minister Muhammad Shiaa Al-Sudani to the United States.[/size]
[size=45]Washington extended to Sudanese more than one invitation to visit the United States and meet with President Biden, but they were invitations without dates.[/size]
[size=45]On the other hand, it was announced in Washington that the Prime Minister of Kurdistan, Masrour Barzani, will meet with US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, hours after the former arrived in Washington with an official invitation.[/size]
[size=45]According to the website of the US State Department, Masrour Barzani will begin his meeting with Blinken, today (yesterday) at 11 o’clock Washington time, 7 pm Baghdad time.[/size]
[size=45]It is expected that Barzani's visit file may include talk about the future of the American forces, as Kurdistan stresses the importance of maintaining the partnership with Washington even if the military forces withdraw. These words are also embraced by Muhammad al-Sudani, the Prime Minister, who a few days ago informed an American delegation of the importance of “partnership” after the withdrawal of American forces from Iraq.[/size]
[size=45]Al-Sudani, according to a statement from his office, said that he informed a congressional delegation that visited him in Baghdad, “Iraq’s interest in partnering with the United States of America based on the strategic framework agreement signed between the two countries in 2008.”[/size]
[size=45]According to the office’s statement, the latter discussed with a member of the Foreign Relations Committee in the US Congress, Christopher Coons, the importance of transitioning the relationship between the two countries to a bilateral relationship after the end of the international coalition’s tasks.[/size]
[size=45]This position seems to have provoked Akram Al-Kaabi (Al-Nujaba), who confirmed in a statement a day after the recent Sudanese meeting that the American forces “will not withdraw through negotiation.”[/size]
[size=45]Al-Kaabi considered that the current calm is only a temporary tactic for the resistance to reposition and spread, but rather it is “the calm before the storm,” especially after some of those he described as traitors and agents gave information about the resistance and its locations to the occupier (referring to the Americans).[/size]
[size=45]Ihsan Al-Shammari, professor of public policy at the University of Baghdad, told Al-Mada: “Al-Nujaba seems to have taken a decisive position by not accepting the formula of a sustainable partnership between Iraq and the United States.”[/size]
[size=45]He added, "In the next stage, Al-Nujaba will form a different path from the rest of the armed factions that seem to have been convinced by negotiations and survival."[/size]
[size=45]Al-Shammari pointed out the possibility that Al-Nujaba might take “a hard-line stance against the United States and the rest of the factions after her words about treason, especially since they had lost many of their leaders.”[/size]
[size=45]He continued that the movement: “will not give up its weapons, and therefore Al-Nujaba may later attract a number of parties for the purpose of carrying out operations against the United States.”[/size]
[size=45]Akram Al-Kaabi had previously expressed his hope that Kataib Hezbollah would end the “temporary suspension” of its military operations against American forces that it announced about a month ago.[/size]
[size=45]He pledged at the time to continue operations against the coalition forces, even though the US Department of Defense (the Pentagon) says that its forces have not been subjected to attacks in Iraq or Syria since February 4.[/size]
[size=45]Regarding the Iraqi-American negotiations, Ihsan Al-Shammari, who also heads the Center for Political Thinking, says, “The Iraqi government has reached a complete conviction that it is not possible to maneuver with the decision taken by the United States to move to a security formula that allows sustainable survival in the country.”[/size]
[size=45]He adds, “There are political forces and parties pushing in this direction (sustainable survival) because they find that America’s rapid or scheduled withdrawal is the beginning of the end for this political class, so as not to lose American support for Iraq.”[/size]
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