Biden offers al-Kadhimi 'full support' for de-escalation: White House
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US President Joe Biden affirms that he supports the Iraq government and seeks to de-escalate the situation in the country.
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Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi meets with US President Joe Biden in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, July 26, 2021 (AFP)
US President Joe Biden offered his full support to Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi for the de-escalation of tensions in the country, the White House said on Wednesday, noting that the President called the premier to discuss the issue in Iraq.
"The President finally offered his full support for Prime Minster Kadhimi’s efforts to de-escalate tensions in the region through dialogue and diplomacy. The two leaders agreed to remain in touch over the coming weeks," the White House said in a press release.
What Happened in Iraq?
Leader of the Sadrist movement Muqtada al-Sadr said Monday that he was quitting politics. In a tweet, al-Sadr announced his final resignation from politics and the closure of all his party offices.
Al-Sadr's supporters staged a sit-in outside Iraq's parliament for several weeks, after storming it on July 30 to protest the Coordination Framework's nomination of Mohammed Shia al-Sudani for Prime Minister.
Al-Sadr's decision prompted clashes in Baghdad and other governorates between pro-Sadrist protestors and the security services, which led to a death toll reaching 30, and more than 700 people were injured, including 110 security personnel.
The Iraqi authorities imposed a nationwide curfew that began at 19:00 local time (16:00 GMT) on Monday, the Iraqi Security Forces Joint Command announced, which was lifted later on Tuesday.
As the violence mounted in the Iraqi capital on Monday, the head of the Sadrist parliamentary bloc in Iraq, Hassan Al-Adhari, had previously announced that al-Sadr will go on a hunger strike until the violence stops.
At the time of the events, the US Embassy in Baghdad stressed that Iraq's security, stability, and sovereignty should not be jeopardized, noting that "Now is the time for dialogue, not escalated confrontation."
The statement further read that "the right to peaceful public protest is a fundamental element of all democracies, but demonstrators must also respect the institutions and property of the Iraqi government, which belong to and serve the Iraqi people and should be allowed to function."
