BAGHDAD — 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. 6park.com
Mustafa al-Kadhimi said in an exclusive interview with The Associated
 Press that Iraq currently does not need direct military support on the 
ground, and that the levels of help will depend on the changing nature 
of the threat. 6park.com
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. 6park.com
Al-Kadhimi, who is backed by the United States, assumed office in May
 when Baghdad’s relations with Washington were precarious. The January 
killing of Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani and a top Iraqi militia leader,
 Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, in an American drone strike in Baghdad prompted 
demands by Shiite lawmakers that U.S. forces leave Iraq. 6park.com
Three years since Iraq declared victory over ISIS, sleeper cells 
continue to stage attacks across the country’s north. Meanwhile, the 
U.S.-led coalition has been carrying out a planned drawdown this year as
 Iraqi security forces take the lead in combat and air raids. 6park.com

“In the end, we will still need cooperation and assistance at levels 
that today might not require direct and military support, and support on
 the ground,” al-Kadhimi said. He said the cooperation “will reflect the
 changing nature of terrorism’s threat,” including continued training 
and weapons support. 6park.com
Al-Kadhimi has often had to walk a tightrope amid the U.S.-Iran 
rivalry. Asked if he was bringing any messages from Tehran following a 
recent visit there, he said: “We do not play the role of postman in 
Iraq.” 6park.com
Sworn in as premier in the wake of historic mass anti-government 
protests, al-Kadhimi’s administration inherited a myriad of crises. 
State coffers in the crude-dependent country were slashed following a 
severe drop in oil prices, adding to the woes of an economy already 
struggling with the aftershocks of the global coronavirus pandemic. 6park.com
State violence used to quell the mass protests that erupted in 
October brought public trust in the government to a new low. Tens of 
thousands of Iraqis marched decrying rampant government corruption, poor
 services and unemployment, leading to the resignation of the previous 
premier, Adel Abdul-Mahdi. 6park.com
Al-Kadhimi’s administration set a lofty agenda that included enacting
 economic reform, battling corruption, avenging protesters and bringing 
arms under the authority of the state. The latter has pitted his 
government against rogue Iranian-backed militia groups. 6park.com
Three months in, his administration suffered setbacks. Protests by 
pensioners stymied plans to cut state salaries as revenues from oil 
dwindled. Virus cases continue to reach record highs. Militia groups 
taunt his government with near daily rocket attacks targeting Iraqi 
bases and the heavily fortified Green Zone, home to the U.S. Embassy, 
though they rarely cause casualties. 6park.com
The recent assassination of prominent Iraqi commentator Hisham 
al-Hashimi and the kidnapping of German art curator Hella Mewis have led
 many to question the limits of his leadership. Many believe militias 
are behind those attacks. 6park.com
Al-Kadhimi said these were perpetrated by those with an interest in profiting from chaos. 6park.com
“These criminal acts are the result of many years of conflict,” he 
said, blaming poor policies and improper management by his predecessors 
for undermining the authority of the state. “It is not surprising then 
that criminals work here and there to destabilize security.” 6park.com
“We are committed to reforming the security establishment and 
enhancing its ability to deal with these kinds of challenges and holding
 accountable those who fail to protect civilians and put an end to these
 outlawed groups,” he said. 6park.com
He said protection of diplomatic missions in the Green Zone and for 
the U.S.-led coalition had been fortified in response to the repeated 
rocket fire. 6park.com
Still, holding to account al-Hashimi’s killers remains a key test of 
his government. The investigation “continues, the case is open,” and 
“many clues found,” he said, but it remains confidential. 6park.com
“My government has pledged to pursue the killers. It has made some 
progress in uncovering the killers of the demonstrators and has gained 
popular confidence in its aim to establish the truth,” he said. “We will
 not stop until it is revealed.” 6park.com
Al-Kadhimi’s rise, following months of political bickering and 
deadlock, did not pacify the demands of protesters. But he made it a 
point to portray himself as their champion: He selected civil activists 
among his close advisers, set next year as the date for early elections —
 a key demand of demonstrators — and when two protesters were killed 
recently he promised them justice within 72 hours. 6park.com
Making good on a vow to investigate protester deaths, his office 
produced a number of total lives lost at 560, most under fire from Iraqi
 security forces. 6park.com
Critics still say al-Kadhimi’s response falls short. A raid on 
Iranian-backed Kataib Hezbollah, under suspicion of launching the rocket
 attacks in late June, ended with the release of all but one of those 
detained. An investigation into slain protesters did not make explicit 
who their killers actually were. Meanwhile, corruption is widespread. 6park.com
But al-Kadhimi has plans to face even his toughest detractors. 6park.com
To deal with the economic crisis his government is working on a “white paper” to produce reforms. 6park.com
“We are preparing to form a supreme committee linked to the prime 
minister to follow up on major corruption cases, in addition to major 
crimes and assassinations.”