US Congressman refers to Iraqi PM as Afghanistan Prime Minister

Washington (IraqiNews.com) – In a video released on X, Republican Representative Tim Burchett of Tennessee called his meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi “a waste of time,” stating he was “not impressed,” and referred to the Iraqi leader as the “Afghanistan Prime Minister.”

In the video, Burchett expressed disappointment with the meeting, claiming that Iraq had not done enough to help US attempts to curb Iran’s influence in the area.

He described the encounter as “a waste of time” and “not impressed.”

Burchett referred to al-Zaidi as the “Afghanistan prime minister,” despite the fact that he had just met with Iraq’s leader.

The statements sparked condemnation from Iraqi critics and social media users, who claimed the apparent misunderstanding was insulting and shown a lack of experience with Iraq.

The statements were especially criticized since they came after Burchett’s meeting with Al-Zaidi amid negotiations between Iraqi and US officials.

Burchett’s office did not immediately return a request for comment on the statements.

Since the US-led war that deposed Saddam Hussein in 2003, the United States and Iraq have maintained tight security relations.

Washington continues to support Iraqi security forces in their fight against Islamic State militants, while successive Iraqi governments have attempted to strike a balance between relations with the US and neighboring Iran, which wields significant political and military power through allied factions in Iraq.

The video is still accessible on Burchett’s X account.