Iraq's Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al Sudani met President Joe Biden at the White House on Monday amid soaring tension in the Middle East, following Iran's attack on Israel.
“Our partnership is pivotal for our nations, the Middle East and the world,” Mr Biden said from the Oval Office.
Mr Al Sudani said the visit comes at a "sensitive time".
“The relationship between the United States and Iraq is at an important juncture,” he said.
“We aim to discuss the sustainable foundations for a 360-degree strategic partnership."
Mr Al Sudani said it was vital to ensure "a smooth transition from a military security-based relationship to a comprehensive economic, political, environmental, educational and security partnership according to the Strategic Framework Agreement".
"The two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to the enduring strategic partnership between Iraq and the United States and discussed their visions for comprehensive bilateral co-operation under the 2008 US-Iraq Strategic Framework Agreement," the White House said after the meeting.
"The President and Prime Minister agreed on the importance of working together to advance regional stability and reinforce and respect Iraqi sovereignty, stability and security."
The White House said the leaders discussed the sustained defeat of ISIS, energy, the environment, regional integration, political co-operation, the economy and finance, and security co-operation.
The week-long visit, Mr Al Sudani's first since taking office, was supposed to focus on expanding bilateral ties, new economic opportunities and the exit of US forces from Iraq.
The White House said the two leaders had agreed that "Iraq’s security forces must be able to ensure that ISIS can never again reconstitute inside Iraq to threaten the Iraqi people, the region, or the international community, including the United States".
But Iran's drone and missile attack on Israel on Saturday is likely to overshadow the visit.
Israel, the US, the UK and other allies shot down most of the drones and missiles.
Iran has said it considers its military action against Israel complete – provided Israel does not strike back.
“Together with our partners, we defeated that attack,” Mr Biden said from the Oval Office.
Tehran said the assault was in response to an April 1 missile attack by Israel on Iran's embassy compound in Damascus that killed two senior Iranian commanders and other officers.
Israeli air strike hits Iranian consulate in Syria – video
Mr Biden needs Mr Al Sudani to rein in Iran-backed armed groups that conducted scores of attacks on US troops in Iraq and Syria since the Israel-Gaza war began.
The attacks began in October, after the Hamas attacks on Israel and the subsequent Israeli invasion of Gaza, but ceased in February, although the Iran attack has caused concern about the potential widening of the conflict.
Mr Al Sudani said that "under the spirit of partnership, our views might be divergent about what’s happening in the region”.
But he said the Iraqi government is “very eager to stop this war which claimed the lives of thousands of civilians, including women and children".
Meanwhile, Mr Al Sudani wants to secure an agreement on the withdrawal of foreign troops from his country, a decade after they arrived in Iraq to fight ISIS. He also wants more US companies to set up shop in Iraq.
About 2,500 US troops remain in Iraq in an advise-and-assist capacity, and the two countries began talks in January about ending the international coalition.
Earlier on Monday, members of the Iraqi delegation met Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who said talks would focus on "on a half a dozen issues, including energy security, democracy and rule of law, climate, water".
"The American private sector remains very interested in engaging, investing and lending its expertise to Iraq," Mr Blinken said.
A joint statement said that "to allow Iraq to benefit from the US private sector's leading technology and expertise, the United States and Iraq announced the signing of new memoranda of understanding to capture and process flared gas and turn it into usable electricity for the Iraqi people".
Iraq relies on Iran for about a third of its energy needs, and Baghdad owes Tehran several billion dollars.
"President Biden applauded Iraq’s progress towards energy self-sufficiency, and the two leaders discussed Prime Minister Al Sudani’s interest in future opportunities for co-operation to ensure Iraq becomes self-sufficient by 2030, with help from US companies." the White House said.
Last month, the administration renewed a 120-day waiver that allows Iraq to circumvent sanctions to pay Iran for energy.
Mr Al Sudani met Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin later in the afternoon, during which they "affirmed the two nations' commitment to an enduring US-Iraq bilateral defense relationship and to a strong Iraq, capable of self-defence in support of a more stable and peaceful region".
"Addressing the strategic nature of the US-Iraq bilateral defence relationship and Iraq's role as leader in ensuring regional security, the Secretary and Prime Minister discussed efforts to modernise the ISF [Iraqi Security Forces], including Kurdish Peshmerga forces, and build their capabilities," a joint statement said.
The visit took place a week after a meeting of the the US-Iraq Higher Military Commission, a professional military-to-military dialogue aimed at planning the end of the international coalition and how the anti-ISIS coalition will evolve based on the level of threat from terror group and Iraqi forces' preparedness.
Scoreline
Al Wasl 1 (Caio Canedo 90 1')
Al Ain 2 (Ismail Ahmed 3', Marcus Berg 50')
Red cards: Ismail Ahmed (Al Ain) 77'
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Under-21 European Championship Final
Germany 1 Spain 0
Weiser (40')
BIGGEST CYBER SECURITY INCIDENTS IN RECENT TIMES
SolarWinds supply chain attack: Came to light in December 2020 but had taken root for several months, compromising major tech companies, governments and its entities
Microsoft Exchange server exploitation: March 2021; attackers used a vulnerability to steal emails
Kaseya attack: July 2021; ransomware hit perpetrated REvil, resulting in severe downtime for more than 1,000 companies
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
SQUADS
India
Virat Kohli (captain), Rohit Sharma (vice-captain), Shikhar Dhawan, Ajinkya Rahane, Manish Pandey, Kedar Jadhav, Dinesh Karthik, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (wicketkeeper), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Shardul Thakur
New Zealand
Kane Williamson (captain), Martin Guptill, Colin Munro, Ross Taylor, Tom Latham (wicketkeeper), Henry Nicholls, Ish Sodhi, George Worker, Glenn Phillips, Matt Henry, Colin de Grandhomme, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, Adam Milne, Trent Boult
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Four motivational quotes from Alicia's Dubai talk
“The only thing we need is to know that we have faith. Faith and hope in our own dreams. The belief that, when we keep going we’re going to find our way. That’s all we got.”
“Sometimes we try so hard to keep things inside. We try so hard to pretend it’s not really bothering us. In some ways, that hurts us more. You don’t realise how dishonest you are with yourself sometimes, but I realised that if I spoke it, I could let it go.”
“One good thing is to know you’re not the only one going through it. You’re not the only one trying to find your way, trying to find yourself, trying to find amazing energy, trying to find a light. Show all of yourself. Show every nuance. All of your magic. All of your colours. Be true to that. You can be unafraid.”
“It’s time to stop holding back. It’s time to do it on your terms. It’s time to shine in the most unbelievable way. It’s time to let go of negativity and find your tribe, find those people that lift you up, because everybody else is just in your way.”
The National in Davos
We are bringing you the inside story from the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting in Davos, a gathering of hundreds of world leaders, top executives and billionaires.
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Lamsa
Founder: Badr Ward
Launched: 2014
Employees: 60
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: EdTech
Funding to date: $15 million
Tips to keep your car cool
- Place a sun reflector in your windshield when not driving
- Park in shaded or covered areas
- Add tint to windows
- Wrap your car to change the exterior colour
- Pick light interiors - choose colours such as beige and cream for seats and dashboard furniture
- Avoid leather interiors as these absorb more heat
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: Turbocharged four-cylinder 2.7-litre
Power: 325hp
Torque: 500Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
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Kandahar%20
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The team
Photographer: Mateusz Stefanowski at Art Factory
Videographer: Jear Valasquez
Fashion director: Sarah Maisey
Make-up: Gulum Erzincan at Art Factory
Model: Randa at Art Factory Videographer’s assistant: Zanong Magat
Photographer’s assistant: Sophia Shlykova
With thanks to Jubail Mangrove Park, Jubail Island, Abu Dhabi
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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ENGLAND SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Jack Butland, Jordan Pickford, Nick Pope
Defenders: John Stones, Harry Maguire, Phil Jones, Kyle Walker, Kieran Trippier, Gary Cahill, Ashley Young, Danny Rose, Trent Alexander-Arnold
Midfielders: Eric Dier, Jordan Henderson, Dele Alli, Jesse Lingard, Raheem Sterling, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Fabian Delph
Forwards: Harry Kane, Jamie Vardy, Marcus Rashford, Danny Welbeck
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
Ain Dubai in numbers
126: The length in metres of the legs supporting the structure
1 football pitch: The length of each permanent spoke is longer than a professional soccer pitch
16 A380 Airbuses: The equivalent weight of the wheel rim.
9,000 tonnes: The amount of steel used to construct the project.
5 tonnes: The weight of each permanent spoke that is holding the wheel rim in place
192: The amount of cable wires used to create the wheel. They measure a distance of 2,4000km in total, the equivalent of the distance between Dubai and Cairo.
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Anti-semitic attacks
The annual report by the Community Security Trust, which advises the Jewish community on security , warned on Thursday that anti-Semitic incidents in Britain had reached a record high.
It found there had been 2,255 anti-Semitic incidents reported in 2021, a rise of 34 per cent from the previous year.
The report detailed the convictions of a number of people for anti-Semitic crimes, including one man who was jailed for setting up a neo-Nazi group which had encouraged “the eradication of Jewish people” and another who had posted anti-Semitic homemade videos on social media.
How to donate
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
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Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
