Iraq Turmoil Greets Biden on Visit to Discuss Islamic State
- U.S. troop levels rising in preparation to retake Mosul
- Syrian peace talks break down with no resumption planned
Iraqi supporters of the Sadrist movement hold national flags and shout slogans during a demonstration to press for reforms outside Baghdad's Green Zone on April 26, 2016.
Photographer: HAIDAR MOHAMMED ALI/AFP/Getty ImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
Vice President Joe Biden made a surprise visit to Iraq as a wave of fresh sectarian violence there and a breakdown of peace talks over the civil war in neighboring Syria threaten to undermine the U.S.-led campaign against Islamic State.
Biden’s plane landed in Baghdad shortly after 3 p.m. local time on Thursday, in his first visit to the country since 2011. President Barack Obama hasn’t been to Iraq since 2009, the first year of his presidency.