Informed political sources revealed that more than one Iraqi political delegation of Sunni figures has arrived in the US capital, Washington, as part of attempts to attend the inauguration ceremony of US President-elect Donald Trump, scheduled for January 20 .
The sources explained that this visit took place without prior coordination with the Iraqi government or informing the embassy in Washington, which makes it an unofficial visit .
She added that the attendance of unofficial delegations to the inauguration ceremony has not yet been confirmed, as work is underway to involve them through these “lobbies .”
She also noted that an official delegation from Baghdad and Erbil might participate in the inauguration ceremony, without providing further details .
The information indicated that arrangements for private visits are usually made through contracts with “private lobbies” in Washington, which organize the process for the benefit of Iraqi political leaders, and that the contracts concluded with these “lobbies” start at a minimum of $150,000 per month, and extend for a period ranging between one and three years, in addition to the costs of travel from meetings with members of Congress or media outlets, which are between $250-500,000 per trip .
Lobbies in Washington are pressure groups that work to influence U.S. government decisions by establishing relationships with decision-makers such as members of Congress, executive officials, and government agencies.
