Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi brought a conciliatory tone to a much-anticipated U.S. speech Thursday, asking the United States to remain its partner as it continues to purge the Islamic State from its cities and works toward a more stable future.
Abadi emphasized that his government must address the political, economic and sectarian divides that made its northern and central areas, which are majority Sunni-populated, ripe for takeover by the Islamic State last year after years of internal oppression of the Sunnis by former Shiite leader Nouri al-Maliki.
Abadi said Iraq is in a “crucial phase,” looking ahead to the challenges “we must face to defeat Daesh,” Abadi said, using the Arabic acronym for the terrorist group, “and address the tasks of bringing reconciliation to our nation.”
However, he emphasized to the Sunni population that “reconciliation is a two-way street … we all must reach out to our fellow Iraqis.”
Two weeks ago, Abadi walked through Tikrit after its liberation from the Islamic State, which Abadi said formed a blueprint for how the rest of the country could be taken back. However, he cautioned that the next big objective, Mosul, will not be undertaken until Iraq is “fully prepared” for the fight.
“What’s true for Mosul is true for the rest of Iraq,” Abadi said.
Abadi was speaking at the Center for International and Strategic Studies after a multi-day trip in the U.S. where he and his defense minister, Khaled al-Obeidi, met with President Obama and Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter. The visit had been expected to result in the request of additional arms and military aid, but none so far have been forthcoming.
Carter and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Martin Dempsey, are scheduled to hold a press briefing with reporters later in the day, where the topic is likely to be raised.
