ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — The election of democrat Joe Biden to the US presidency has the world talking about how the future administration will impact them. In Iraq, many are still living with the legacy of the long-time politician’s foreign policy decisions.
“The United States has a hand in the invasion of Iraq and everything that happened after that is caused by the US occupation of our country,” Zainab, a resident of Baghdad, told AFP. “We hope there will be a change and that they (the US) will help Iraq because we are in an economic and political crisis.”
The former senator and vice-president was among the politicians who voted for the 2002 invasion of Iraq, a decision he has since expressed regret over. The toppling of Saddam Hussein and American occupation under the false assertion that the dictator harboured weapons of mass destruction was followed by years of instability and sectarian violence in Iraq.
"As an Iraqi, I prefer that Trump stays in power," Abu Saad, a 74 year old man from the Iraqi capital, told AFP. “Iraqis don't see that a change in leaders will lead to a change in policy.”
Biden’s election has created noise among Iraqi politicians, with many pro-Iran parties expressing positivity about the future administration.
"Perhaps choosing someone who relies on a policy of coordination could pave the way for cooperation among countries," Nasr al-Shammary, spokesman for the Iran-aligned Harakat al-Nujaba told AFP.
Iran leaning Sunni leader Khamees al-Khanjar also showed his joy toward Biden’s election. "Biden's win is a new opportunity with the world, to turn a new page towards stability and dialogue.”
US President Donald Trump imposed strong sanctions on Iran over the course of his presidency, among them pulling America out of the landmark nuclear deal in 2018. Trump said the deal needs to be renegotiated to include Iran’s ballistic missiles program and regional behavior. Washington launched a maximum pressure campaign and crippling sanctions in a failed attempt, which have devastated the Iranian economy and made everyday necessities unaffordable for everyday people.
Joe Biden was elected President of the United States after CNN reported him gaining 279 electoral college votes, and gaining the popular vote by a huge margin of 4 million votes.
