WASHINGTON: Iraq鈥檚 highest-ranking Sunni is in Washington this week pleading for more military aid for his community鈥檚 militias, hoping the Trump administration will deliver on pledges to counter Iran鈥檚 growing power across the Middle East.
Osama Al-Nujaifi is one of Iraq鈥檚 three vice presidents, and his brother heads a prominent Iraqi defense faction. Both have been represented in Washington by the same lobbyist employed last year by Michael Flynn, President Donald Trump鈥檚 first national security adviser. In February, Trump fired Flynn, who is now under investigation by special counsel Robert Mueller.
Al-Nujaifi met Monday with a team of State Department and other officials, kicking off a week of efforts to bolster the influence of Iraq鈥檚 minority Sunni Muslims 鈥� and shore up his power base ahead of national elections next year. His requests for equipment and training face resistance: While Trump has tweeted warnings about Shiite Iran鈥檚 expanding control over Iraq, Americans officials are not yet providing military aid directly to Iraq鈥檚 Sunni fighters.
In an interview with The Associated Press, Al-Nujaifi recalled the US military support for militias during the 鈥淪unni Awakening鈥� against Al-Qaeda in Iraq a decade ago and said Sunni forces once again 鈥渘eed the ground support of the United States鈥� as Daesh is driven from Iraqi territory. He said the US and Iraq also need to press for the disarmament of Shiite militias, many of which are supported by Iran.
Al-Nujaifi鈥檚 push comes with a family complication. His brother, Atheel, is the former governor of the recently liberated city of Mosul and heads a prominent Sunni militia.
Sunnis represent about 40 percent of Iraq, but consistently complain about being underrepresented in Iraq鈥檚 Shiite-dominated government.
Al-Nujaifi said that more attention should be paid to the strengthening of military capabilities of communities wrested from Daesh鈥檚 control, like majority Sunni Mosul, which may require sending more American military forces.
A significant ramp-up in direct US aid to Iraq鈥檚 Sunni militias 鈥� let alone American troops 鈥� is not likely, analysts say.
鈥淚 presume his pleas will be met with collective eye-rolling,鈥� said Michael Knights, a Mideast analyst at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.
Two years of lobbying in Washington did not win much support for Al-Nujaifi鈥檚 brother. After fleeing Mosul when Daesh captured the city in 2014, Atheel Al-Nujaifi turned to Turkey鈥檚 government for training and other aid for his militia. US support remained minimal, Knights said.
In 2015 and again last year, Atheel Al-Nujaifi lobbied Congress and other US officials for a long list of weapons and other aid to equip 10,000 fighters.
His sole lobbyist last year was Washington lawyer Robert Kelley, who also worked in 2016 as general counsel for Flynn鈥檚 consulting firm. Flynn Intel Group was hired by a Turkish business client seeking to develop a criminal case against a Turkish Muslim cleric whose extradition from the US has been sought by Turkey鈥檚 government.
Kelley also helped set up Osama Al-Nujaifi鈥檚 meetings this week with Trump administration officials.
Last October, Kelley registered Flynn Intel Group with Congress for its lobbying on behalf of the Turkish-owned company, Inovo BV. But in March, Flynn鈥檚 firm abruptly filed instead as a foreign agent with the Justice Department, acknowledging that its work likely aided Turkey鈥檚 government. That filing is now under scrutiny as part of Mueller鈥檚 probe.
Iraqi VP asks for arms, training for Sunnis in his country
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