By Patrick Goodenough
| June 28, 2021 | 10:02pm EDT
Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi. (Photo by Christian Marquardt - Pool/Getty Images)
(CNSNews.com) – White House press secretary Jen Psaki played down Iraq’s condemnation Monday of U.S. airstrikes carried out against Iranian-backed militias near the Iraq-Syria border. She argued that President Biden was confident they were a “necessary” and “appropriate” response to threats to U.S. personnel there.
Psaki described Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi as a “partner” who “has a tough job,” and noted that his statement had called for “a de-escalation from all sides – and we agree with that.”