Pompeo meets Iraq officials on unannounced Baghdad visit

BAGHDAD, Jan 09 (AFP): US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met Iraqi officials, including the speaker, on an unannounced visit to Baghdad on Wednesday, a statement from parliament said.

Pompeo's talks, on the second leg of a key Middle East tour, come less than two weeks after President Donald Trump drew criticism for failing to meet a single Iraqi official during a surprise Christmas visit to US troops.

The US top diplomat was in the Middle East to urge allies to continue to confront the "significant threats" posed by Iran and jihadists despite Trump's surprise decision last month to withdraw all US troops from Syria.

Pompeo flew in from Amman and was also due to visit Cairo, Manama, Abu Dhabi, Doha, Riyadh, Muscat and Kuwait City on his longest trip since taking office last year.

During his lightning, top secret visit to Al-Asad Air Base in western Iraq on December 26, Trump spoke with US commanders and a group of about 100 mostly special forces personnel.