US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Monday that his country welcomes an apparent agreement among Iraq’s Shiite, Sunni and Kurdish groups to form a new government, adding it would need to be capable of confronting the coronavirus pandemic, helping the economy and bringing arms under control.
“We welcome that Shiite, Sunni, and Kurdish political leaders seem to have arrived at a consensus on government formation, and hope the new government puts Iraq’s interests first and meets the needs of the Iraqi people,” Pompeo said in a statement.
On Thursday, Iraq's president named intelligence chief Mustafa al-Kadhimi as prime minister-designate, the third person tapped to lead Iraq in just 10 weeks as it struggles to replace a government that fell last year after months of deadly protests.
“The Iraqi people demand genuine reform and trustworthy leaders,” added Pompeo.
“These demands deserve to be addressed without violence or suppression,” he said in reference to the security forces’ crackdown on the rallies.
“We stand with the Iraqi people as they seek a sovereign, prosperous Iraq, free of corruption and terror.”
