(11 Jun 2020) LEAD IN:
Ahead of upcoming talks between the U.S. and Iraq, America's main concern remains Iran's influence, an analyst says.

STORY-LINE:
Iraq's internal economic and political crisis will overshadow the strategic talks that are set to start with the U.S. on Thursday, an Iraq expert at Chatham House said.
Renad Mansour, senior research fellow at the London think tank, said relations with the U.S., while still important, were not as crucial as they used to be.
They are set against the massive economic difficulties Iraq was experiencing as a result of the drop in oil prices, its ongoing crisis of public authority, and the general waning of American influence in the region.
He said that for the U.S., the Iraq relationship was mainly about managing its regional contest with Iran, the other dominant power in Iraqi affairs.
"The concern has been whether Iraq can prosper as a country not bent in, not kind of sucked into Iran's sphere of influence in that way," he said.
Mansour added that keeping U.S. troops in the country was a way of balancing against Iranian influence for some Iraqi politicians.
"Behind closed doors, many Iraqi politicians don't want U.S. troops to leave, including those that might publicly say that," he explained.
Fighting the resurgence of the Islamic State group is another reason, "Iraq is unable to govern its territory, Iraq is unable to fight ISIS yet in its current capacity," said Mansour.
He added that the new Iraqi prime minister, Mustafa al-Kadhimi, may be keen to follow that policy too, unlike the last prime minister, who had a more troubled relationship with the U.S.

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