Washington, June 5 (IANS/EFE) US President Barack Obama will hold a bilateral meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi at the G7 Summit that begins on Sunday in Germany, the White House said.
Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes said in a telephone press conference that the purpose of the meeting is for Obama to speak with Al-Abadi about the situation in Iraq, where the jihadist Islamic State (IS) recently conquered the province of Al-Anbar and its capital, Ramadi.
Those jihadist advances have raised doubts about Obama’s strategy for fighting the IS, although the White House insisted that the president is not intending to send troops to Iraq to fight against the extremist group.
Last week, Obama said the US and its allies should review whether they are effectively deploying and organising their military personnel in Iraq to help that country’s government battle the IS
There are not expected to be any “announcements” about new aid to Iraq emerging from the meeting between Obama and the Iraqi premier in Germany since Washington is simply “reviewing” the way in which it is supporting local security forces, Rhodes said.
–IANS/EFE
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