The Iraqi PM and Joe Biden stuck to the script, emphasising economic opportunities. No one mentioned US troop withdrawal, but Baghdad's tense relations with Iraqi Kurds did come up.
Biden is hosting Iraqi PM Mohammed Shia' Al Sudani in Washington next week. While the two leaders have a host of festering issues to iron out, Iraq seems to be the least of US concerns at the moment.
Five years after its decimation in the Middle East, the terrorist group that once proclaimed a 'state' has used Africa and Central Asia to regroup, and is now resurgent in its former heartlands.
The US wanted Syria to abstain from meddling in Iraqi affairs, deny refuge to former Saddam loyalists, expel Palestinian organisations from Syria, and withdraw Syrian military forces from Lebanon
In part 4 of a 7-part series, Al Majalla sheds light on a meeting between Rafic Hariri and George W. Bush. The Lebanese PM left with an understanding as to Saddam's fate and with a message for Iran.
Before it invaded Iraq in 2003, the US was trying to reassure Iran that it would not be targeted next. In part 3 of a 7-part series, Al Majalla publishes private discussions held in Damascus.
The Kurdish leader was party to secret talks with the Americans in the run-up to the US invasion of Iraq. In part 2 of a 7-part series, Al Majalla reveals for the first time what he told the Syrians.
In 2002, the CIA informed Iraqi Kurds of its plan for regime change. In part 1 of a 7-part series, Al Majalla publishes first-hand accounts of the conversations that would change the Middle East.
Damascus and Tehran wanted invading US troops to get stuck in a 'new Vietnam' and set up an operations room headed by their top lieutenants to cause havoc, never-before-published documents show.
The horrors in Gaza have led to accusations of genocide, denunciations at the Oscars, and even self-immolation by a US Air Force serviceman. When will enough be enough?
In the wake of Iran's attack on Israel, the West wants to levy additional sanctions on Iran. However, over the years, their effect has been limited as Tehran found ways to circumvent them.
The US network news star often hears people express surprise over her heritage. Her new book weaves her personal journey with stories of the Middle East and the world of international journalism.
The state's refusal to engage with bondholders risks keeping Lebanon out of the funding markets, draining its remaining reserves as creditors seek redress