Iraqis share mixed views on Harris vs. Trump presidency

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraqis have mixed opinions as the US holds presidential elections on Tuesday; Baghdad and Washington have maintained strong relations following the US-led coalition operation to oust the Baathist regime in 2003.

Polls in the United States opened in the morning and will close by the end of the day. In the narrow race between front-runners Democratic Party nominee Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump, the outcome is being determined by a handful of swing states.

"Neither are good. But for Iraq, Kamala is calmer. Because we experienced both a Trump and [Joe] Biden presidency and Biden's was better,” Ibrahim Quraishi, a pensioner in Baghdad told Rudaw. 

Harris, the current vice president, has supported existing institutions and Washington-Baghdad policy. 

“She will certainly complete what Biden didn't,” Quraishi predicted.

Iraq-US relations increasingly have been tied to Washington's continued support for Israel following Palestinian Hamas’ unprecedented attack on October 7, 2023, and Israel’s retaliation in Gaza and operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Falah Abdullah, an employee of the government, said "the equation in the Middle East will change" in case of Trump winning the presidential race, given the tense situation in the region.

However others are not so sure, given the actions of the former president’s administration.

"Trump, in his behavior and his past presidential term, acted in a crazy manner, he was uncontrollable and unpredictable," said Mohammed Baldawi, a member of the Iraqi parliament from the Shiite Coordination Framework.

"We expect Kamala [Harris] will do better than him in terms of administration at this stage and will better manage aggressive acts of US policy against the Resistance Front." he added, referring to Iraqi armed groups who have launched multiple attacks on Israel.

An estimated 2,500 US troops remain in Iraq at the invitation of Baghdad to advise, train, and assist Iraqi Security Forces against the Islamic State (ISIS), including providing air support and military aid.

With pressure from Iranian-backed-militia groups to force out US troops in Iraq, Baghdad and Washington agreed in September to end the military mission of the US-led global coalition against ISIS in the country within a year.

US forces will continue operations at some level in Iraq through 2026 to support the coalition mission in northeast Syria (Rojava), according to senior officials from the US and Iraq.

Baghdad began pushing for a US withdrawal after American forces carried out deadly airstrikes on Iraqi militias in retaliation for drone and rocket attacks.