‘Stealing Iraq’s Oil’: Resistance Slams Deal During PM Zaidi’s U.S. Trip
WASHINGTON (Dispatches) – U.S. and Iraqi officials are set to conclude a major energy deal as part of Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi’s visit to Washington this week, according to Iraqi officials cited by AP on Wednesday.
“An agreement is slated to be signed Friday between Iraq, U.S. companies Chevron and TI Capital, and Qatar’s UCC for construction of an oil pipeline that will connect southern Iraq’s Basra to western Iraq’s Haditha,” the officials said.
The pipeline is meant to extend from Haditha to Turkey’s Ceyhan port and the port of Baniyas in Syria.
A senior Trump administration official said that Washington is “facilitating conversation” between Iraq and Syria regarding potential future energy projects as Washington is forging closer ties with de facto Syrian president Abu Muhammad al-Jolani, a former Daesh and Al-Qaeda deputy.
Iraqi resistance faction Al-Nujaba Movement warned against making deals with Washington in Iraq.
“[Trump] will not continue living under the illusion of stealing Iraq’s oil and wealth, whether through direct theft or under the cover of suspicious investments. The Islamic resistance will continue confronting U.S. forces and drive them from Iraq’s land and skies,” the movement’s leader Akram al-Kaabi said in a statement on Wednesday.
The new Iraqi prime minister’s visit to Washington is expected to last until Saturday.
During the meeting at the Oval Office, Trump called Zaidi “young” and “handsome,” and that he had “tremendous chemistry” with the new Iraqi prime minister.
In a press briefing between the two leaders, Baghdad and Washington announced that U.S. combat troops would withdraw from Iraq by September 30.
Zaidi was sworn in as premier in May this year, succeeding former prime minister Muhammad Shia al-Sudani. This came after Trump had threatened to “cut off” Iraq completely if former premier Nouri al-Maliki was re-elected.
Despite initially vowing to continue running, Maliki ended up withdrawing his candidacy. “Mark my words, I knew what I was doing,” Trump said as he sat near Zaidi in the Oval Office on Tuesday.
“This man is going to be a great leader … beyond Iraq. His influence is going to spread all throughout the [region],” he said, referring to Zaidi.
Zaidi’s visit coincided with reports of a major escalation of U.S. pressure tactics, aimed at forcing the Iraqi resistance to surrender its arms.
Sources told the New Arab on Wednesday that Washington has “hardened its stance” against resistance factions in the country.
The Trump administration has adopted a significantly more coercive approach than its predecessors to disarming the Iraqi resistance, stepping up pressure on Baghdad in recent months to dismantle the resistance factions swiftly.
Washington reportedly froze security programs with Baghdad and blocked dollar shipments to the country earlier this year to pressure Iraq into dismantling resistance groups.
Late last month, Baghdad issued a September 30 deadline for the disarmament of all armed factions in Iraq, including resistance movements.
After months of heavy U.S. pressure, some armed organizations have agreed to turn over weapons to the state. Many others, including resistance groups Kataib Hezbollah and Al-Nujaba Movement, have refused.
Iraqi resistance groups demand a full U.S. withdrawal, rather than the “transitional” pullout agreed on between Washington and Baghdad, which will see Washington shift from a “combat” to an “advisory” role, while still retaining a military presence in the country.