Iraq News Now

The US Assistant Secretary for Near Eastern affairs David Schenker visited Baghdad yesterday to discuss relations between the two countries, according to the embassy.

"In the course of (Schenker) meetings with both Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi, Iraq`s President Barham Salih and the Parliament Speaker Muhammad al-Halbousi, Schenker highlighted the importance of the relationship between the United States and Iraq and the ongoing cooperation to support a prosperous, stable and democratic Iraq," a statement by the embassy said.

It added: "Schenker condemned the continuous attacks against peaceful demonstrators who exercise their democratic right to freedom of expression, including their demands for political and economic reform," the statement added. “He called the government to put an end to these criminal practices and bring the perpetrators to justice."

Baghdad and the Shiite-dominated regions and cities of the south have been witnessing since October 1, demonstrations calling for early elections, fighting corruption, and the removal of all political parties that have ruled Iraq since 2003 until now.

These protests prompted Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi to resign from his post, under pressure from the religious authority of Ayatollah Ali Sistani.

According to the statement, the US official expressed his support for the basic democratic right of Iraqi citizens to freedom of peaceful assembly and expression.

He stressed that the United States respects the important and permanent role that the authority plays in Iraq.