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The United States has pledged to speed up its support to Iraq in the fight against the Islamic State (IS) group, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has said following a meeting with US President Donald Trump in Washington.
Key points:
- Donald Trump and Iraqi PM hold talks in Washington to discuss America's role in the battle against IS
- Haider al-Abadi says US is unlikely to send large numbers of troops to Iraq, adds 'there are better ways" to defeat terrorism
- During the meeting, Mr Trump also questions the Iran nuclear deal made by his predecessor Barack Obama
Mr Abadi said Mr Trump appeared more enthusiastic about battling Islamist extremists than the previous US administration had been.
"I think they're prepared to do more to fight terrorism and be more engaged," Mr Abadi told a forum after his White House visit.
He said he had been told US "support will not only continue but will accelerate".
Former president Barack Obama was reluctant to commit large numbers of US troops to combating IS in Iraq.
But his approach, which relied on training and supporting local forces, succeeded in pushing the militants out of much of the territory they once held.
Asked whether he had seen the Trump administration's plan to wipe out IS, Mr Abadi said: "I haven't seen a full plan. I know there is a plan. I haven't seen it."
Mr Abadi said the Iraqi Government's offensive to recapture the city of Mosul from IS militants was in its final stages.
Their talks came shortly after FBI director James Comey said the FBI and Justice Department had no information to substantiate Mr Trump's claims Mr Obama wiretapped him before the US election.
As reporters were leaving, Mr Abadi leaned over to Mr Trump and said jokingly, "We have nothing to do with the wiretap".
Mr Abadi is in Washington this week ahead of a gathering of world leaders to discuss the coalition against the jihadist group.
US 'should haven't have left'
Earlier in the day, as the two men met, Mr Trump told Mr Abadi he knew his forces were fighting hard.
"It's not an easy job," Mr Trump said.
"It's a very tough job. Your soldiers are fighting hard. I know Mosul is moving along … We will figure something out.
"Our main thrust is we have to get rid of ISIS. We're going to get rid of ISIS. It will happen. It's happening right now."
Mr Trump said he hoped to address the "vacuum" that was created when IS moved into Iraq and added, "we shouldn't have gone in" to Iraq in the first place.
"Mosul was ours until we left. So, perhaps we shouldn't have gone in, and certainly we shouldn't have left. We certainly should never, ever have left, and the vacuum was created."
Mr Trump also raised his frequently stated objections to the Iran nuclear deal negotiated by his predecessor, but did not talk specifically about how he intends to support Iraq.
"One of the things I did ask is, 'Why did President Obama sign that agreement with Iran?' because nobody has been able to figure that one out'," Mr Trump said.
"But maybe someday we'll be able to figure that one out."
ABC/wires
Topics: world-politics, unrest-conflict-and-war, defence-and-national-security, terrorism, united-states, iraq