U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry made an unannounced trip to Baghdad Sunday to pressure Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to form a substantial policy regarding ISIL, Reuters reports.
Secretary Kerry plans to “discuss U.S. actions underway to assist Iraq as it confronts this threat and urge Iraqi leaders to move forward as quickly as possible with its government formation process to forge a government that represents the interests of Iraqis,” said spokeswoman Jen Psaki.
Kerry’s visit comes as Iraqi forces battle militants from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and other Sunni groups for control of Iraqi cities.
According to Reuters, Kerry said the U.S. does not wish to pick a new leader for Iraq, rather they want Iraqis themselves to “find a leadership that is prepared to be inclusive and share power.”
The U.S. is deploying troops to the region and considering air strikes in Iraq to defeat ISIL.
