Baghdad - Thursday, May 16, 2019

Here in Iraq, by most standards, we have the largest embassy in the world, and we are building the world's largest consulate in Erbil, and being able to move so many people quickly when needed can be a logistical challenge. What led to our decision to withdraw non-essential staff is the threats we see from Iran and its partners here in this country and in the region. I know you probably can guesstimate why I can’t talk about specific aspects of these threats beyond what you have already heard from the Minister. We can sufficiently say that we believe it’s specific and credible.

Iraq is considered one of the America's most important strategic partners in the region, and the US government has full confidence in the determination of Iraqi security forces to keep our people safe. You all know that, but I wanted to emphasize these key points as we discuss the current events tonight. You have all heard by now that the Secretary of State has directed the US mission to reduce the number of our non-core staff, and I know you understand that this is a step we would take anywhere in the world to protect ourselves when we know there are increasing security threats against Americans, or when there is a natural disaster, epidemic, or a collapse of civil order. We want to make sure, in situations like this, that we are able to move our people out of harm's way quickly if we need to. 

The Embassy and Consulate in Erbil will remain open and some staff, including me, will stay in place to maintain basic programs and contacts with our Iraqi partners and friends. These include humanitarian aid and our stabilization assistance, which has reached more than $2.5 billion since 2014. For example, a few days ago, I contacted the Bishop of Chaldean to ask him what his parishioners thought of rehabilitating the 64 houses we had financed in the city of Batinaya, north of Mosul. I was thrilled to hear about how happy he and the people of the town were at work and that he offered his blessing. Some of you have seen that about a month ago, I traveled to Fallujah to announce a $100 million pledge to the United Nations to rehabilitate hospitals, schools, water systems and electrical networks in Anbar. We will remain committed to this kind of work to help people return home and prosper there.

However, some of our work, such as the issuance of routine visas, will be temporarily reduced or suspended, but the remaining staff and I will do our utmost to maintain close and strong relations with Iraq, not only because we like to have friends but also because we believe it is in our vital national interest to see a strong, stable and sovereign Iraqi government capable of confronting all major threats.

Corrupt parties inside and outside Iraq have proposed a challenge - and yes - with a threat to that relationship. ISIS shook its foundations but could not bring it down. Others have funded and supported various armed groups that do not necessarily respond to the Prime Minister's directives. We have expressed our public and private concern about the threats that some of these groups pose to American individuals, and in addition there is the Prime Minister's clearly stated policy that Iraq must not become a battleground for other countries. We greatly appreciate the Government's efforts in this regard. We strongly agree with this principle, and our commitment to this is provided for in Section 4 of the Strategic Framework Convention on Friendship and Cooperation, which states that "the United States will not use Iraqi territory, waters or airspace as a transit point for launching attacks against other countries."

We are aware that any attack inside Iraq against the Government or its invited guests, such as the international coalition, or attacks from Iraqi territory against another country, regardless of who carried out that attack, will jeopardize the great achievement so far achieved by the Prime Minister, the President of the Republic, and the Speaker of Parliament, who have brought Iraq's relations with its neighbours to an unprecedented level in the recent history of this country.

Think about how strong, self-confident and independent the Iraqi government will be with extensive trade, tourism and diplomatic relations with all its neighbours instead of just one or two, as well as with Europe, North America and Asia.

Here, I must disagree with our dear supervisor, Dr. Farhad, when he said in his latest article that "Americans are concerned about the recent trade agreements between Iraq, the Saudis, the French, and the Germans after the high-level visits made by President Barham Saleh and Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi to these countries." As long as our companies are given a fair chance to compete with others, we support such agreements because they contribute to the development of the Iraqi economy. Imagine if Iraq could achieve an annual trade surplus of $10 billion with many countries, as it does with the United States, not a $13 billion trade deficit, as it does with Iran. That vision of the future, for which the Prime Minister is trying hard to lay the foundations, is at great risk when one State or another uses its partners and agents to threaten others in Iraq.

As President Trump has said, we don't want a war with Iran, and we believe Iran understands the enormous dangers and risks it will face if it attacks US personnel or facilities in Iraq or elsewhere. We have heard the Supreme Leader say that Iran also does not want war, but we know and believe that the Iranian regime has supported terrorism and violence against the will of governments in multiple countries. This is one of the reasons why the US government has tightened sanctions on the Iranian regime, including elements of the government and the military known to support terrorism. We want them to stop this behaviour and think about a different future, in which Iran's neighbours will be able to enjoy balanced and normal relations with it. We are ready to sit down and start those negotiations, and we know that our Iraqi partners are doing their utmost to support this outcome.