(MENAFN- Arab Times) Jordan, France, Tehran on Pompeo heels to Baghdad -US Secretary of State postpones scheduled visit to Kuwait
Saudi Arabia's King Salman, right meets with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo at the Royal Court in Riyadh, Monday, January 14, 2019. Pompeo met with Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on the latest stop of his Middle East tour that has so far been dominated by questions and concerns about the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Syria. (Andrew Cabellero-Reynolds/Pool via AP)
BAGHDAD, Jan 14, (Agencies): Jordan's King Abdullah and the foreign ministers of France and Iran made separate visits on Monday to Iraq, an ally of Tehran, amid US attempts to rally allies against the Islamic Republic as Washington starts withdrawing troops from neighbouring Syria. King Abdullah's visit, his first since 2008, follows a week after US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo stopped off in both countries at the start of a Middle East tour meant to mobilise Arab countries against Iran and reassure them over the planned US troop withdrawal from Syria.
The Jordanian king was greeted by President Barham Salih on a red carpet at Baghdad airport before heading to meet Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi. Salih welcomed the visit as strengthening 'joint interests and security'. Pompeo, who was in Riyadh on Monday, promoted a planned Middle East Strategic Alliance (MESA) that would include Gulf Arab states, Jordan and Egypt.
Washington is seeking to weaken Shi'ite Muslim Iran, Israel's arch-foe in the region, with renewed sanctions and the support of Sunni Arab allies. In Iraq, Washington has made overtures to officials with vague pledges of greater economic cooperation and has pressured Baghdad to stop importing Iranian gas. But the planned withdrawal from Syria of 2,000 US troops, announced by President Donald Trump last month, alarmed US allies across the region, including Israel, which worries that the move could embolden Iran. Pompeo's tour came weeks after the announcement, and after a surprise trip by Trump to a US military base in Iraq that included no meetings Iraqi leaders, prompting criticism from politicians. Iraq's government and many state institutions have been dominated by Iran-aligned figures and groups since the US-led invasion of 2003 that toppled Saddam Hussein.
Iran-backed Shi'ite militias which helped defeat Islamic State in 2017 are increasing their sway over territory and politics in Iraq. Iran's Foreign Minister Javad Zarif met Abdul Mahdi, Shi'ite Muslim political leaders and other officials on Sunday and Monday and said a visit by President Hassan Rouhani would follow in March, Iranian state news agencies reported. The US troop withdrawal has also alarmed Western allies who still see Islamic State as a threat, including France whose Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian met Abdul Mahdi on Monday.
Le Drian said the US withdrawal 'raised questions', adding that IS had not been completely destroyed in Syria yet and threatened to return in Iraq. France had agreed a 1 billion euro loan for reconstruction in Iraq after the 2014-2017 battle to defeat the Sunni jihadists. Iraq has signalled it could become more military involved against IS in neighbouring Syria. It has carried out several air strikes against IS in Syria in agreement with Damascus.
Qatar has expressed appreciation for the US support to the efforts exerted by His Highness the Amir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al- Jaber Al-Sabah to restore the Gulf unity. 'Qatar highlighted its appreciation for the constructive role played by the United States in support of the efforts of the Amir of Kuwait to resolve the dispute,' reads a joint statement at the conclusion of the Second Qatari-US Strategic Dialogue in Doha Sunday and co-chaired by US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo and Qatari counterpart Sheikh Mohammad Al Thani.
'Qatar and the United States affirmed their continued support for a strong and united Gulf Cooperation Council that is focused on promoting a peaceful and prosperous future for all the people of the region and on countering regional threats,' it added. The statement pointed out that the two sides discussed potential mechanisms to address wider regional challenges beyond the Gulf, including establishing a Middle East Strategic Alliance (MESA) between the United States and its Gulf and regional partners.
Pompeo is, meanwhile, postponing his scheduled visit to Kuwait, as he is cutting short his current tour to the region to attend a family funeral back home, US embassy announced here Monday. US Ambassador to Kuwait Lawrence Silverman, in a press release, conveyed Pompeo's anticipation to visit Kuwait in the near future to hold US-Kuwaiti strategic dialogue with Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al- Hamad Al-Sabah. Secretary Pompeo sees the strategic dialogue as a major priority that would 'abide our countries by beefing up the level of cooperation on all levels for the mutual and practical benefits of our peoples,' Silverman noted. The Third Kuwait-US Strategic Dialogue was scheduled to take place Tuesday.
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