Mattis contradicts Trump: US 'not in Iraq for oil'

‘Mad dog’ Mattis, a retired Marine general who commanded troops during the 2003 invasion of Iraq, appeared to nix Trump’s controversial comments during his visit to the Iraqi capital as he sought to soothe partners rattled by the outspoken president.

"All of us in America have generally paid for gas and oil all along, and I am sure that we will continue to do so in the future," Mattis told reporters at the start of a visit to Iraq.

"We are not in Iraq to seize anybody's oil," he claimed.

Trump has repeatedly said, both while campaigning and since his election, that the US should have grabbed Iraqi oil to help fund its war effort during its eight-year occupation, and to deprive the Islamic State group of a vital revenue source.

Last month, while speaking at the CIA headquarters, Trump cited the adage, "to the victor belong the spoils", before again suggesting the US "should have kept the oil" after pulling most of its troops out of the country under his predecessor, Barack Obama.

The president then added, without elaborating, that "maybe we'll have another chance" - comments which many said alluded to potential military plans for the new US president to again put American troops and Iraqi civilians into harm's way.

On Sunday, Iraq reported a total of 153 billion barrels in proven oil reserves, the fifth largest in the world behind Venezuela, Saudi Arabia, Canada and Iran.

Mattis has emerged as a vital statesman for the Trump administration, and has spent the past week in Europe and the Gulf on a mission to reassure allies that America was not about to abandon old military alliances.

Trump also despatched Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Vice President Mike Pence to Europe in a bid to show "unwavering" US support to NATO.

Travel ban friction

The Pentagon chief was due to meet with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and Defence Minister Irfan al-Hayali, and his visit comes as the battle to recapture west Mosul from IS gets under way.

Adding to the friction from Trump's oil comments is his executive order blocking Iraqis from travelling to the United States, part of a decision to stop people from seven Muslim-majority countries from entering America for at least 90 days.

The move drew immediate international condemnation and prompted the Pentagon to lobby for special consideration of Iraqis who had supported US troops, such as translators and support staff.

During a phone conversation, Iraq's Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi had requested President Donald Trump remove his country from the controversial travel ban before US courts abolished the executive order.

According to a statement released by Abadi's office, the Iraqi PM urged Trump to "lift Iraq from the list of countries mentioned in the executive order" stressing the "importance of a review of the decision on the right of Iraqis to travel to the United States".