WASHINGTON DC— The United States has not made direct supply of defense materials to the Kurdish Peshmerga forces in the fight against the Islamic State (ISIS) and that all assistance goes through Baghdad, Pentagon Press Secretary said on Friday.
“The manner in which we are helping with that material assistance to the Kurds is through the Iraqi government. And we still believe that that's the right approach, that the material assistance that they receive should be -- should come through the Iraqi government,” Pentagon Press Secretary Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby told reporters.
“Now, as I said, there are some foreign nations who are also providing arms and ammunition. They are too working through the Iraqi government. Nothing's changed about our policy that that's the best way for this to occur," he added.
The Pentagon statement contradicts Kurdish officials who claim that the US has directly delivered weapons to the Kurdish forces.
Last month, KRG deputy Prime Minister Qubad Talabani confirmed that the US has provided weapons and encouraged other countries to do the same.
“America has provided some weaponry directly to Kurdistan. One of the things, which I believe is not entirely clear, is that the United States has not only supplied weapons directly to us, it has also encouraged other nations to send us arms,” said Talabani.
Kurdish forces who are leading the fight against ISIS in northwestern Iraq have complained that foreign arms supply does not get to them on time as Baghdad authorities hinder the delivery.
Senior Kurdish officials have visited Washington recently, urging the US to bypass Baghdad in providing defense materials to the Kurdish forces.
Member of the US House of Representatives and Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, introduced H.R. 5747 legislation in November, calling for direct supply of arms to Erbil, but with only 30 co-sponsors the bill has little chance of passing.
The Obama administration has said that any direct arming of the Kurdish forces violates the US law. “We have to send it (weapon) to the government [in Baghdad] because that’s the U.S. law. If you want to change it, fix it, we invite you,” Secretary of State John Kerry told the House Committee on Foreign Affairs last September.
However, according to Rear Adm. Kirby, the US oversees the weapons delivery and ensures that the KRG will receive them.
“But it doesn't mean that we've taken our, you know, eye off the fact that they continue to need sustenance and support. And obviously, we, you know, we're going to continue to look for ways to make sure they get that. But again, through the Iraqi government in Baghdad,” said Kirby.
