Iraq's prime minister said Monday ahead of a much anticipated trip to Washington that his country still needs U.S. assistance to counter the threat posed by the Islamic State group and that his administration is committed to introducing security sector reforms as rogue militia groups stage near-daily attacks against the seat of his government.
"In the end, we will still need cooperation and assistance at levels that might require direct and military support, and support on the ground," Mustafa al-Kadhimi said, but the levels depend on the changing nature of the threats posed by terrorist groups.
Al-Kadhimi is slated to meet with President Donald Trump in Washington this week to conclude a strategic dialogue launched in June to reconfigure U.S.-Iraq ties.