Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III meets with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani to “renew their mutual commitment to long-term defense cooperation as a key pillar of the 360-degree U.S.-Iraq strategic partnership”, March 7, 2023. (DoD photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Alexander Kubitza)

By  Gary  Raynaldo    –   DIPLOMATIC  TIMES

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin made a surprise visit to Iraq Tuesday where he met with Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani and other Iraqi officials.   The U.S. defense secretary told reporters Washington is committed to keeping American forces in Iraq.  Austin said:

 “U.S. forces are ready to remain in Iraq, at the invitation of the Government of Iraq, to support the Iraqi-led fight against Daesh. The United States will continue to stand with the people of Iraq.”

Austin said Daesh, a terrorist group also known as ISIL, Islamic State, or ISIS,  “continues to threaten the lives and livelihoods of Iraq’s citizens, so our continued cooperation is essential.”  Austin’s visit came nearly 20 years after  the US invasion of Iraq that removed dictator Saddam Hussein from power. The Iraq War began on 20 March 2003, when the US, joined by the United Kingdom, Australia, and Poland, launched a “shock and awe” bombing campaign that led to the ouster of Hussein.  Austin told reporters that Daesh is not the only threat that the region faces.   “The United States condemns the repeated cross-border attacks from Iran. These attacks violate Iraqi sovereignty, put Iraqi lives in danger, and hold the Iraqi people back,” he said. 

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III meets with U.S. Army troops representing Area Support Group – Jordan, 3rd Security Force Assistance Brigade, 1st Theater Sustainment Command, 45th Field Artillery Brigade, and Task Force Spartan, at Joint Training Center in Zarqa, Jordan, March 6, 2023. (DoD photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Alexander Kubitza)

In the Middle East, Austin said, the U.S. military has more than 34,000 troops participating in shared security cooperation efforts. 

Austin also visited Jordan Sunday where he met with King Abdullah II of Jordan as part of his multiday tour of partner nations in the Middle East.  As part of the meeting, the two leaders discussed a range of shared concerns, including security in nearby Iraq, the flow of illegal narcotics in the region, Syria, the escalating tensions in the West Bank and Jerusalem, and working towards a lasting peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians, according to a statement from the Pentagon.