EXCLUSIVE: Trump told Iraqi premier to get rid of Shiite militias

DEBKAfile was founded by a team of journalists in June 2000 as an independent Internet Web site, providing an intelligence and security news service. March 21, 2017, 1:47 PM (IDT)

DEBKAfile’s exclusive sources disclose the five high points US President Donald Trump raised  in his first face-to-face with Iraqi prime minister Haidar Al-Abadi at the White House Monday. They concerned Iraq’s future after ISIS is driven out.

1. Baghdad must fire the 10,000 fighters of the pro-Iranian Iraqi Shiite militias as redundant.

2. The Iraqi government must comply with Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani’s fatwa ordering Shiite soldiers to lay down arms and return to their homes.

3. Abadi must promise a Sunni government to the Sunni town of Mosul and not permit any of its districts to be taken over by Shiite militias.

4. He must grant a form of self-rule to the non-Muslim minorities of Nineveh northwest of Mosul. They include Christian Assyrians, Turkmen and Yazdis.

5. The Kurdish oil town of Kirkuk must be safe from attack and seizure.

At their joint news conference, the Iraqi prime minister said his army was ready to do more to fight terrorism and be more engaged, but he expected more support from the United States and financial contributions from the international community.

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