10 January
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made an unannounced visit to Iraq on Wednesday. He discussed with Iraqi leaders the withdrawal of US troops from Syria.
Pompeo, who is now on a tour of the Middle East, met Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi and President Barham Salih in Baghdad.
The US State Department says the secretary discussed cooperation to defeat Islamic State militants, and conveyed an intention to support the Iraqi government.
The Iraqi prime minister's office says Pompeo indicated that the US will not hurry in the pullout from Syria but do it in a well-organized manner while communicating with Iraq.
Some people are concerned that the withdrawal could lead to a worse security situation in Syria.
Observers say Pompeo wants to dispel such concerns. They also say he wanted to show consideration for the Iraqi government because of criticism of US President Donald Trump. He did not meet any Iraqi leaders but inspected US troops in the country when he visited there in December.
NHK
