US Ambassador meets Iraqi Chief Justice following congressional controversy

Shafaq News/ US Ambassador to Iraq Alina Romanowski held a meeting on Tuesday with the head of Iraq’s Supreme Judicial Council, Judge Faiq Zaidan.

The meeting comes in the wake of recent remarks by a US congressman that targeted Zaidan.

Romanowski stated on X, "Today, I met with/ SJC President Judge Faiq Zaidan as part of our good and growing relationship with the Iraqi Judiciary to continue our work on important legal matters of mutual interest."

Republican Congressman Mike Waltz, a member of both the House Armed Services and Foreign Affairs Committees, plans to propose an amendment to a bill that would label the Supreme Judicial Council and its head as "assets controlled by Iran," according to a report by the Washington Free Beacon.

This proposal has sparked a significant backlash in Iraq. President Abdul Latif Jamal Rashid condemned the statements, noting that they not only insulted Judge Zaidan but also undermined the independence of Iraq's judiciary, which is a fundamental pillar of the state.

President Rashid warned that such irresponsible remarks, if repeated, could adversely affect the nature of bilateral relations between Iraq and the United States.

The Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs also rejected Waltz's statements on Saturday, calling them a blatant interference in Iraqi affairs.