The Iraqi Foreign Ministry clarifies the content of the “Washington message” if the framework adheres to Maliki.
On Thursday, the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement clarifying what was stated in a television interview with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein, confirming that an oral message received by Iraq from the American side in Washington included an allusion to the possibility of imposing sanctions, along with criteria related to the nature of cooperation and the formation of the next government.
The ministry stated in a statement that “in the context of the interview conducted by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Fuad Hussein, with Al-Sharqiya channel, some interpretations and information were circulated by the media out of context, especially regarding the absence of any threat to impose sanctions on Iraq.”
She explained that “the verbal message received from the American side in Washington, in the event that the largest bloc adheres to its current candidate, included two main points,” indicating that “the first point included a clear and explicit hint at the possibility of imposing sanctions on some individuals and institutions.”
She added that “the second paragraph included a set of criteria related to the nature of cooperation and joint work with the United States of America, especially with regard to the formation of any future government and its working mechanisms.”
The ministry confirmed that “the minister’s remarks during the interview focused on the criteria mentioned in the second paragraph, and did not address the content of the first paragraph related to the hint of sanctions,” noting that this “led to confusion in some media coverage.”
On Wednesday, the US State Department confirmed in an exclusive statement to Shafaq News Agency that Washington’s position remains “firm and unwavering” regarding the nomination of Nouri al-Maliki for the Iraqi premiership, warning that his selection would force the United States to reassess its relationship with Iraq.
The “coordination framework,” which includes ruling Shiite political forces in Iraq, is witnessing a division over the nomination of Maliki for the next government, amid American warnings of the repercussions of his selection. This has prompted forces within the coalition to try to persuade him to withdraw in order to preserve the unity of the framework, while Maliki insists on his nomination and believes that reversing it should be done by an official decision from the coalition.
The escalating American pressure on Iraq comes as a translation of President Donald Trump’s explicit threats, which included criticism of the previous course taken by Maliki when he assumed the premiership for eight years.
Shafaq.com