Iraq enters ‘new phase’ of stability as American forces eye drawdown

Iraq is entering “a new phase” of stability and growth, President Abdullatif Jamal Rashid said in an interview, declaring the country “100% safe” as U.S. troops prepare to draw down after more than two decades on the ground.

While praising the U.S. for helping to defeat ISIS, Rashid stressed that Iraq now intends to stand on its own — maintaining ties with both the United States and neighboring Iran.

“Americans have helped us in defeating terrorism… and I think Iraq is 100% safe and secure,” Rashid told Fox News Digital on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly. “It’s a new phase in Iraq, really concentrating on improving the infrastructure.”

Those who served in Iraq in the early 2000s — through the War on Terror and a civil war — may not recognize it as the same place, according to Rashid.

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“We have started development in every field of life, and there are good opportunities for number of American companies, American businessmen, to be our partner in improving the situation in Iraq.”

Under this “new phase,” Rashid said he wants Iraq to be defined less by conflict and more by commerce.

“Our relationship with the United States is a long relationship. We want to make a stronger relationship… on trade, on investment, on energy and water.”

The timing is significant. The U.S.-led coalition that toppled Saddam Hussein in 2003 and later fought ISIS was scheduled under an agreement last year to begin its final withdrawal this September. That exact timeline is unclear, and the Pentagon has disclosed few details.

The issue is sure to dominate next month’s parliamentary elections, where a swath of Iraqis want the U.S. to adhere to its agreement and leave.

“This is a hot button political issue,” said Behnam Taleblu, fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), “with a timetable that was technically — or at least allegedly — already supposed to have started by then, is going to be something that we should be keeping our eyes on.”

American commanders have warned that ISIS cells remain active in rural areas, while Iran-aligned militias have targeted U.S. and Iraqi government facilities with rockets and drones.

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Some argue…