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On Tuesday, US Secretary of State urged Iraq’s newly appointed prime minister-designate Haidar al-Abadi to quickly form an all-inclusive government.
“We are urging him to form a new cabinet as swiftly as possible and the U.S. stands ready to support a new and inclusive Iraqi government and particularly its fight against ISIL. Let me be very clear, we have always wanted an inclusive government that represents … all Iraqis. That is the goal”, he said after a security meet in Australia.
He also said that it was important that “the forces of Iraq are not a personal force defined by one particular sect and sworn to allegiance to one particular leader, but they truly represent Iraq and Iraq’s future in a broad-based sense”.
“I think that everybody understands that is the direction we have to go.Nobody, I think, is looking towards a return to the road that we’ve traveled.What we are really looking for here is a way to support Iraq, to support their forces — either training or equipment or assistance of one kind or another — that can help them to stand on their own two feet and defend their nation”, he added.
Kerry added that the US will not send combat troops to Iraq; it has been conducting air raids against extremists belonging to the Islamic State in the country.
“There will be no reintroduction of American combat forces into Iraq. This is a fight that Iraqis need to join on behalf of Iraq”, he said.
Later in the day, Maliki ordered Iraqi security force personnel to not get involved in a “political crisis” over the formation of a new government.
In a statement on his website, Maliki urged security personnel “to stay away from the political crisis and continue in their security and military duties to defend the country”.
Nickolay Mladenov, UN’s envoy to Iraq, had on Monday warned the Iraqi military against political interference after soldiers, police and special force personnel were deployed around strategic locations in Baghdad.
