US secretary of state makes surprise visit to Baghdad

By Ibrahim Saleh

BAGHDAD (AA) - U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday made a surprise visit to Iraqi capital Baghdad, an Iraqi Foreign Ministry official has told Anadolu Agency.

Pompeo is currently conducting a tour of the Mideast aimed at reassuring Washington’s regional allies of continued U.S. support despite a planned U.S. troop withdrawal from Syria.

According to the source, who spoke anonymously as he is not authorized to talk to media, Pompeo has already met Iraqi Parliament Speaker Mohamed al-Halbusi and is soon expected to meet Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi and other top officials and political figures.

The meetings will likely tackle the war against the Daesh terrorist group and current U.S. troop dispositions in Iraq.

Pompeo was in Jordan on Tuesday for the first leg of a wider tour of the region that will also take him to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Bahrain, Oman and Kuwait.

Iraq had not been included in Pompeo’s initial travel itinerary.