US commits $200m humanitarian aid to Iraq but is vague on military help

The primary goal of Iraqi prime minister Haider Al Abadi's first trip to the White House was to secure billions of dollars worth of weapons, including drones and attack helicopters, reports Taimur Khan

Iraq's prime minister Haider Al Abadi calls on a reporter at the end of remarks with US president Barack Obama following their Oval Office meeting at the White House on April 14, 2015. Jonathan Ernst/Show more

NEW YORK // Washington will commit an additional US$200 million in humanitarian aid to help Iraqis displaced by ISIL and bolster Baghdad’s response to the Syrian war, Barack Obama said on Tuesday, but was vague about further military aid.

Securing billions of dollars worth of additional military assistance, including drones and attack helicopters, was a key goal of Iraqi prime minister Haider Al Abadi’s three-day visit, his first to the White House since becoming premier.

After talks with Mr Al Abadi on Tuesday, Mr Obama praised the recent progress of Iraqi forces fighting against ISIL and thanked the Iraqi leader for honouring his pledge to address political grievances and govern more inclusively than his predecessor.

“We are making serious progress in pushing back ISIL out if Iraqi territory,” Mr Obama said, adding that Iraqi forces backed by the US-led coalition had regained about one quarter of territory lost to ISIL last summer.

The US president also praised Mr Al Abadi for forming a unified government that includes minorities — “a significant change from some past practices”, Mr Obama said.

Speaking in Arabic, Mr Al Abadi thanked Mr Obama for the additional humanitarian assistance, which he said would not go to waste, and pledged to strengthen Iraq’s democracy and counterterrorism efforts.

“The American people have made great sacrifices for the people of Iraq,” he said.

On Monday, Mr Al Abadi said that an increase in US airstrikes in Anbar province as well as weapons and training had helped push ISIL militants onto the back foot, but said that more airstrikes and other aid was necessary to defeat the group.

US airstrikes were key to Iraq’s most significant victory over ISIL, retaking Tikrit, and Mr Al Abadi has won praise in Washington for pulling back Shiite militiamen from the battlefield in exchange for the air support.

Mr Al Abadi is in Washington until Thursday, with a primary aim of securing billions of dollars worth of sophisticated weapons systems such as drones and attack helicopters, but on a deferred payment schedule. Mr Obama’s announcement of humanitarian aid appeared to fall far short of that goal, but the Iraqi leader has yet to meet the US defence secretary and members of congress.

Iraqi officials have warned that if the United States does not provide more military aid, they will turn to Iran instead. Advocates of increasing US assistance say it is the best way to blunt Iran’s role in Iraq, but the White House has preferred to condition aid on political steps by Baghdad that have not always come quickly.

The US has already spent more than US$2 billion (Dh7.3bn) on the fight against ISIL, mostly in Iraq, including delivering 62,000 smalls arms, 1,700 Hellfire missiles, six battle tanks and 300 mine resistant vehicles to Iraqi forces, according to the White House.

Mr Al Abadi will also be seeking billions of dollars in economic loans from the IMF and World Bank, and is scheduled to meet the executives of both lending institutions as well as senior executives of oil and gas companies and private banks. The fall in oil prices has crippled Iraq’s economy and left the government with a $21 billion budget shortfall this year out of a total budget of $105bn.

The loans could be crucial to Baghdad’s efforts to rebuild the country with improved infrastructure and services and crucial to arming and training Sunni tribal forces ahead of likely offensives to take more of the territory overrun by ISIL in Anbar and Ninewa provinces, including their stronghold in Mosul.

“President Obama pledged to continue to support Iraqi security forces and tribal engagement initiatives with US training and equipment,” said a joint statement released after the meeting between the two leaders.

“He specifically welcomed the recent decision by the Iraqi government to supply thousands of rifles and other equipment to tribal fighters in eastern Anbar province, building on the successful model at Al Asad airbase in western Anbar, where US advisers are enabling tribal operations against ISIL in coordination with Iraqi security forces.”

But Baghdad’s pledge to arm the Sunni tribal forces has yet to be fully implemented, a failure that has underscored fears about the growing influence of militias loyal to Iran who have made up a significant portion of the Shiite militias known as the Popular Mobilization Forces. These forces have done the bulk of the fighting against ISIL in Sunni-majority Anbar.

Mr Obama said he and Mr Al Abadi “discussed extensively” Iran’s role in the fight, and said that while close coordination between Baghdad and its ally Tehran is expected, Iran’s assistance must come via the Iraqi state and not directly to non-state militia allies.

“It is very important for us to coordinate our activities going through Iraq,” Mr Obama said. Without naming Iran, the joint statement said the US president voiced “strong support for increased cooperation between Iraq and regional partners on the basis of mutual respect for sovereignty and non-interference in domestic affairs”.

On Tuesday, ISIL continued its campaign of car bombings outside of the areas it controls, killing at least 15 people in five bombings in the Baghdad.