Trump reportedly jokingly referred to Iraqi officials as 'the most accomplished group of thieves he'd ever met'

After a meeting with Iraqi officials sometime in 2017, Trump reportedly jokingly criticized them as "thieves."
Trump has made other disparaging remarks about US allies and broached policies that have angered Iraqis.
While Trump has voiced skepticism of US action overseas, his policies have continued or expanded American involvement abroad.

President Donald Trump's expansion of American action overseas during his first year in office stands in contrast to the skepticism he has shown toward US alliances and US involvement in international agreements.

Trump has publicly denounced NATO, Germany in particular, over what he sees as European countries shirking their financial obligations to the alliance. He has criticized US allies in Asia for what he has described as free-riding on American pledges of defense.

In private, Trump also reportedly mocked Iraqi officials.

After a delegation of Iraqi officials visited Trump in the White House, Trump, speaking in jest, referred to them as "the most accomplished group of thieves he'd ever met," one former US official told The Washington Post.

More cash than Donald Trump had ever seen in his life

During the presidential campaign, Trump also made several references to theft committed in Iraq during the US-led invasion and reconstruction effort.

In February 2017, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis — who was a Marine commander during the first Gulf War and led the 1st Marine Division during the 2003 invasion of Iraq — assured Iraq that the US military was not in the country "to seize anybody's oil."

It's not clear when the incident reported by The Washington Post took place.

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi visited the White House in March 2017. On that occasion, Trump praised the two countries' "unprecedented cooperation" in the fight against ISIS and underscored the US commitment to improving Iraq's security.

Abadi said hours after their meeting that he thought the US was "prepared to do more to fight terrorism and be more engaged" and that support from Washington "will not only continue but will accelerate."

As with Afghanistan, Trump's stated skepticism of ongoing US involvement overseas doesn't appear to have informed his ultimate policy choice. US military personnel continued to support Iraqi forces and partner forces against ISIS throughout 2017.

While US troops have begun to withdraw in the wake of Iraq's declaration of victory over the terrorist group, the Trump administration has reportedly sought a commitment from NATO to an open-ended presence in Iraq.

A letter sent by Mattis to NATO headquarters in January called for a formal NATO mission to Iraq with a semi-permanent or permanent command to train and advise Iraqi forces. The proposal was reportedly greeted coolly in Brussels.

Trump reportedly jokingly referred to Iraqi officials as 'the most accomplished group of thieves he'd ever met'

More cash than Donald Trump had ever seen in his life

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