AL-ASAD AIR BASE (Iraq): President Donald Trump used a lightning visit to Iraq — his first with US troops in a conflict zone since being elected — to defend the withdrawal from Syria and declare an end to America’s role as the global “policeman”.

Mr Trump, accompanied by his wife Melania, landed late on Wednesday at Al-Asad Air Base in western Iraq after what he described as a stressful, secrecy shrouded flight on a “pitch black” Air Force One.

He spoke to a group of about 100 mostly special forces personnel and separately with military leaders before leaving a few hours later after a visit that sparked controversy in Iraq.

A planned meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdel Mahdi was scrapped and replaced by a phone call, the premier’s office said.

Mr Trump invited Abdel Mahdi to visit Washington and he accepted, according to the White House.

The president was seen shaking hands with camouflage-clad personnel, signing autographs and posing for photos at the base.

Morale-boosting presidential visits to US troops in war zones have been a longstanding tradition in the years following the Sept 11, 2001 terror attacks.

Mr Trump has been soundly criticised for eschewing such a trip in the first two years of his presidency. But speculation had been mounting that he would finally make the gesture following his controversial plan to slash troop levels in Afghanistan and his order to withdraw entirely from Syria.

Mr Trump sought to defend his “America First” policy of pulling back from multinational alliances, including what to many Americans seem like the endless wars in the Middle East.

“It’s not fair when the burden is all on us,” he said. “We don’t want to be taken advantage of any more by countries that use us and use our incredible military to protect them. They don’t pay for it and they’re going to have to.”

“We are spread out all over the world. We are in countries most people haven’t even heard about. Frankly, it’s ridiculous,” he added.

‘Enough time’

Mr Trump told reporters he had overruled generals asking to extend the Syria deployment, where about 2,000 US forces, joined by other foreign troops, assist local fighters battling the militant Islamic State group (IS).

“You can’t have any more time. You’ve had enough time,” he said he told the top brass.

Mr Trump’s visit appeared to take Iraqi authorities by surprise and prompted criticism, including from former prime minister Haider al-Abadi.

The way in which Mr Trump visited was “not commensurate with diplomatic norms and relations with sovereign states”, Mr Abadi said.

“Dealing with Iraq and its sovereignty in this way will harm Iraqi-US relations,” he said.

Iran-backed groups that make up a key bloc in the Iraqi parliament reacted angrily.

Shia movement Harakat al-Nujaba said the presence of US forces in Iraq was a “violation of the country’s sovereignty” and it was “now the duty of the government to expel American forces”.

Published in Dawn, December 28th, 2018