Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi speaks during a press conference at the chancellery in Berlin, Germany, 11 February 2016. Picture by Rainer Jensen/DPA/PA Images. All rights reserved. Even while Trump was merely president-elect, Abadi found himself in the unenviable position of having to constantly play down or cover up Trump’s highly outrageous assertions ranging from taking Iraq’s oil to scolding the ousting of Saddam, Iraq’s tyrant.
Abadi’s worst nightmare materialised with Trump ushering in his presidency by stressing, to an audience of CIA officials, on the very first day after his inauguration, not only that the U.S. should have seized Iraqi oil – which according to him was not stealing – but far more chillingly declaring: maybe we will have a second chance. Abadi desperately attempted on Jan 24 to sweep these profoundly alarming statements under the carpet, by pretending he was not clear about what Trump meant. Trump, by contrast was far from apologetic, reasserting to ABC news, the very next day, not just the same comments but brazenly refusing to elaborate what he meant by having a second chance, insisting it was a military matter.
To make matters worse Trump issued an executive order, on Jan 27, banning citizens of seven countries, including Iraq, which is supposed to be the U.S.’s principal ally in the war against ISIL, from entering the U.S., prompting furious protest across Iraq and a resounding call by Iraq’s parliament instructing Abadi to reciprocate the insulting ban. However, as expected, Abadi bluntly refused, citing vital U.S. military support. With Abadi becoming increasingly vulnerable, his office scrambled to alleviate the mounting pressure by ensuring that his readout of the phone call with Trump, on Feb 10, stridently trumpeted the message that, thanks to Abadi’s concerted efforts, Trump is on the verge of removing Iraq from the ban.
