From its earliest days as the “Cradle of Civilization” to its modern-day strategic partnership with the United States and its regional leadership role in the Middle East, Iraq always has been a crossroads for culture, politics and history.
Iraq has, over centuries, been birthplace to some of the planet’s most significant historical achievements. From the earliest known writing system to the first wheel, from innovations in irrigation to the first seed plow, and from the earliest comprehensive legal code to the invention of latitude and longitude in geographical navigation, Iraq’s impact on the world is undeniable.
The United States is one of Iraq’s most important partners. The US-Iraqi relationship includes the overthrow of the brutal dictatorship of Saddam Hussein and the establishment of Iraq’s democracy. The current relationship is based on the Strategic Framework Agreement for a Relationship of Friendship and Cooperation between the United States and the Republic of Iraq, signed in 2008 and reaffirmed regularly between the two countries’ leaders. Cooperation exists on diplomatic, economic, security, academic and cultural fronts. The most notable success of the partnership is on counterterrorism, including Iraq’s victory over ISIS.
Iraq is a transitional democracy that has held regular election since the 2003 end of the Saddam Hussein regime. It is a multiparty, multiethnic democracy that allows for a balanced representation of the diverse groups in Iraq.
Present-day Iraq is established as a regional leader in the Middle East, convening bilateral and multinational heads of state to discuss global and regional cooperation across a host of pressing issues. Iraq works to bring regional rivals to the negotiating table rather than the battlefield, as evidenced by the hosting of Saudi Arabian and Iranian diplomats for high-level talks.
Dr. Salwan Sinjaree
Chargé d'Affairs
Embassy of the Republic of Iraq
Washington DC