The Republic of Iraq's "special" relations with the U.S. as a factor restraining the Iraqi ruling circles in their efforts to expand international contacts

The relevance of the topic is conditioned by the significant influence of the US-Iraqi relations on the strategic stability and political architecture of the Middle East in the XXI century. The author examined the key aspects of interaction between the Republic of Iraq and the United States in the political, economic and defense spheres following the adoption of the Framework Agreement in 2008, as well as the influence of American foreign policy on the development of the Iraqi state while maintaining the American military presence. The author investigated the mechanisms and instruments used by the United States to ensure its long-term influence in Iraq. The 2008 Framework Agreement, which became the basic document for determining the priority areas of cooperation between the U.S. and Iraq, is analyzed. Special attention is paid to U.S. economic interests, political restrictions for Iraq in the sphere of foreign policy contacts, and the preservation of the U.S. military presence in the country. It is noted that cooperation with the United States creates both opportunities for the recovery and modernization of the Iraqi economy and dependence on U.S. political and economic decisions. Event analysis made it possible to study in detail the dynamics of key events that influenced the nature of bilateral interaction, it helped to identify cause-and-effect relationships between events and their consequences for Iraqi-American relations. The use of the functional analysis made it possible to systematize information about the interaction between Washington and Baghdad in strategically important areas: politics, economics, and cultural and humanitarian ties.

Iraq, USA, foreign policy, US-Iraqi relations, Framework agreement, Middle East, economic cooperation, US military presence, multi-vector policy, international security