US Opposes Cabinet Posts for Armed Groups, Baghdad Source Says

BAGHDAD, Iraq — A political source in Baghdad said Prime Minister Ali al-Zeydi received a message from the United States in the past two days opposing any role in the new Iraqi government for people or structures representing armed groups. The source said the message stated that Washington would also oppose ministerial or senior posts even if those groups gave up their weapons or ended military activity. According to the same source, al-Zeydi relayed the message to political forces, particularly parties in the Coordination Framework, as talks continued over the formation of the government. The source said some political forces were considering giving posts to groups that had announced, or were preparing to announce, that they would disarm, but the US position altered those calculations. It added that the government was preparing meetings to discuss integration with official institutions and guarantees for groups that said they had handed over their weapons.