Acting Pentagon chief meets with Iraqi PM on security issues

WASHINGTON - The US Department of Defense said Tuesday that acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan held talks with Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi in Baghdad on a broad range of defense issues.

In their meeting at the prime minister's office, Shanahan and Abdul Mahdi discussed a broad range of defense issues, including the need to further develop capabilities of Iraqi security forces, according to a press release issued by the Pentagon.

Shanahan reaffirmed the US commitment to an independent, sovereign Iraq that is capable of defending itself, the release said.

The two also recognized the growing bilateral security relationship, which is focused on defeating the Islamic State (IS).

Currently, there are some 5,200 US troops stationed in Iraq. During his surprise visit to Iraq in December, President Donald Trump promised not to pull US forces out of Iraq, saying the country could be used as a place to "do something in Syria."

During an interview earlier this month, Trump reportedly said that the important role of US troops in Iraq is "to watch Iran."

In response, former Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi later said that "the presence of US troops in Iraq was a result of bilateral agreement, any activity beyond that will be inacceptable."

Shanahan officially took over the Pentagon early in January as acting US secretary of defense after his predecessor, James Mattis, who resigned on Dec 20 over policy disagreements with Trump, including whether to withdraw US troops from Syria.