Obama to meet Iraqi prime minister at G7

President Obama will meet with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi at this weekend’s Group of Seven (G7) summit in Germany amid tensions over the administration’s strategy in fighting the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

{mosads}It will be Obama and Abadi’s first face-to-face meeting since the city of Ramadi fell to ISIS militants last month, a major blow for the international coalition’s campaign against the group.

The two leaders will discuss “the situation on the ground and our efforts to support the Iraqi security forces,” deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes told reporters Thursday.

The White House has publicly expressed confidence in Abadi’s leadership, but there have been signs of a strained relationship since ISIS took control of the Sunni stronghold of Ramadi.

Abadi called for greater international support for Iraqi ground forces during a meeting of coalition partners in Paris this week.

“This is a failure on the part of the world,” Abadi told reporters. “There is a lot of talk of support for Iraq. There is very little on the ground.”

ISIS has also made recent gains in Syria, taking the ancient city of Palmyra and advancing on Aleppo.

Rhodes said there are no plans to announce any shift in strategy. He expressed confidence in the existing plan to fight the group, which includes a new offensive in Anbar Province, where Ramadi is located.

There are approximately 3,000 U.S. troops training and equipping Iraqi forces, but they do not serve in combat roles.

In addition, the government has sent 2,000 anti-tank missiles to Iraq to help combat ISIS’s use of car bombs placed inside armored vehicles. The administration has also pledged to speed up other weapons shipments.

Last month, Iraqi officials were angered when Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said Iraqi troops who were routed in Ramadi showed “no will to fight.” That prompted Vice President Biden to smooth over tensions and pledge support for the Iraqi forces in a phone call with Abadi.