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Mike Pompeo Arrives in Baghdad for Unannounced Visit

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has arrived in Baghdad unannounced, AFP reported citing a source in the Iraqi government.
Sputnik

Mike Pompeo landed in Baghdad late Tuesday, according to AFP report.

The US Secretary of State is reportedly expected to meet with Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdel Mahdi.

Earlier Mike Pompeo was slated to meet with German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, as well as German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas for talks in Berlin. However, the meeting was cancelled over "international security issues," Reuters reported at the time citing a German government source.    

READ MORE: Mideast States Join Iraq Summit in Blow to US-Led 'Arab NATO' Initiative

The alleged visit comes two days after the US announced deployment of an aircraft carrier strike group and bomber task force to the Middle East under the pretext of confronting  the "Iranian threat." 

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In late April Iraq hosted a one-day summit, which brought together the country's neighbours: Syria, Turkey, Jordan, and Kuwait, as well as two long-time rivals — Saudi Arabia and Iran — in a blow to the US-led "Arab NATO" initiative, Press TV reported at the time.

The summit has marked a shift in Iraq's foreign policy, with the country assuming the role of a mediator in the region as US President Donald Trump has revived the Obama-era concept of an anti-Iranian alliance of Gulf nations.   

In January, Mike Pompeo, while finalizing his Middle East tour, in a speech in Cairo noted that the US was working on building a new Middle Eastern alliance led by Washington.    

READ MORE: Mike Pompeo Heralds 'Real New Beginning' in US Middle East Policy

According to him, the White House is working to forge a Middle East Strategic Alliance that would bring together members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, the UAE, Oman and Saudi Arabia), as well as Egypt and Jordan. 

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