The Latest: Meeting with Iraqis, Trump criticizes Iran deal
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on the Iraqi prime minister's visit to Washington (all times local):
4:10 p.m.
President Donald Trump is telling a delegation from Iraq that "nobody" can figure out why President Barack Obama signed a nuclear agreement with Iran.
In his first meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, Trump says Iran is one of the issues his team will discuss with the Iraqi delegation.
Trump says they'll also address what he calls the "vacuum" that was created when the Islamic State group claimed Iraq. The president also says "we shouldn't have gone in" to Iraq in the first place.
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4 p.m.
President Donald Trump is welcoming Iraq's prime minister to the White House for their first meeting since Trump assumed office.
Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi posed for photos in the White House driveway and the Oval Office before the pair commenced bilateral meetings.
Al-Abadi's visit comes as Trump prepares to host a 68-nation meeting geared toward advancing the fight against the Islamic State group.
Trump campaigned on a promise to dramatically ramp up the assault on IS and has vowed to eradicate "radical Islamic terrorism."
But the extent of Trump's commitment to helping war-torn Iraq remains to be seen amid significant proposed budget cuts for the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development.
