President Donald Trump will meet Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhemi in Washington later this month, the White House said Friday, highlighting a turn-around in relations since the US-friendly premier came to power.

Tensions skyrocketed following a US strike on Baghdad in January that killed Iranian general Qasem Soleimani and Iraqi commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis and prompted Iraqi lawmakers to demand the expulsion of the roughly 5,200 US troops in the country.

The hostility has calmed substantially since Kadhemi -- an ex-spy chief with close ties to the US and its allies in the region -- took the reins as Iraq's premier in May.

The White House said the August 20 visit comes at a "critical time" in the fight against the Islamic State group and the myriad problems posed by the coronavirus pandemic.

"As close partners, the United States and Iraq will look to expand our relations," the White House added.

A Washington invite was the type of diplomatic olive branch never received by Kadhemi's predecessor Adel Abdel Mahdi, who was forced to resign by months of protests.

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Iraqi policemen killed protesters with hunting rifles; 2 rockets hit Baghdad airport
Baghdad (AFP) July 30, 2020
Iraqi policemen using their own hunting rifles killed protesters in the capital Baghdad this week, the government said, adding that the perpetrators had been suspended. "According to eyewitnesses and forensic data, hunting rifles killed" two protesters, Interior Minister Othman al-Ghanemi told reporters on Thursday. The minister gave the names of three policemen and displayed the arms and ammunition they had purportedly used. Hunting rifles were in the personal possession of the three, "who ... read more