WASHINGTON DC - The United States is seeking to transition from its mission against the Islamic State (ISIS) into a long-term security relationship with Iraq, the Pentagon spokesperson told Rudaw in an interview on Wednesday, ahead of Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani’s visit to the White House. “The United States military is there, of course, at the invitation of the government of Iraq, in a non-combat role to train, advise Iraqi security forces as it relates to the defeat-ISIS mission. But again, what the Higher Military Commission will help us do is look at how we're going to transition from that mission to an enduring bilateral security cooperation and relationship,” said Major General Pat Ryder. Under pressure from Iran-backed armed groups to expel American forces from the country, the Iraqi government has begun talks with the US about winding down the international mission against ISIS. Meetings of the joint Higher Military Commission began in January. “We continue to see progress through this important forum,” Ryder said. President Joe Biden will host Sudani in the Oval Office on Monday. Ahead of this visit, Iraqi leaders, including Sudani, have said they are looking to set a deadline for a US military withdrawal. Ryder, however, said no official request has been made. “I'm not aware of any specific request other than to say, again, I think you've heard the prime minister highlight his perspective. So, I'd refer you to his comments. But the Higher Military Commission affords an opportunity to have those conversations in a systemic way that looks at the three areas that I highlighted, which is the threat that ISIS poses, the operational environment, and then, of course, Iraqi security force [ISF] capabilities, which you know, to give credit where credit is due, the ISF, to include the Peshmerga, have played an absolutely essential role in terms of putting ISIS on its back foot.,” he said. Iraqi leaders have said that ISIS no longer poses a threat in the country. Ryder was more cautious, saying the threat still exists, “And it's important that we continue to put pressure on ISIS’s leadership and capabilities to prevent them from ever resurging.” The US has around 2,500 troops in Iraq leading an international coalition that has assisted Kurdish and Iraqi Syrian forces in the fight against ISIS, which was declared territorially defeated in 2019. Iraqi armed groups backed by Iran have led the push to expel the American forces. The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a network of shadow Iraqi militia groups affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), carried out repeated attacks on US forces in Iraq, Syria, and Jordan late last year and early this year, linking them to US support for Israel in its war in Gaza. The US retaliated with deadly strikes that were condemned by Baghdad. “We respect Iraqi sovereignty, we obviously want to be a valued partner and we'll continue to stay focused on that. If our forces are threatened, of course, we have an inherent responsibility to protect and defend our forces. I know that we're very appreciative of Iraqi security forces in terms of looking out for our forces. And of course, we are always having conversations with our Iraqi partners in terms of making sure that the forces that are there are safe,” said Ryder. The Pentagon spokesperson said that Iran continues to pose a threat to regional security. “Unfortunately, they are choosing to employ proxy groups to sow distrust and tension and, to be frank, destruction throughout the region,” he said. Rudaw: Thank you so much General for this opportunity. Major General Pat Ryder: Thank you for having me. I appreciate it. Let's start with that. This January, you started Higher Military Commission meetings with the Iraqi government. Could you tell us where are you in those meetings? Have you had any concrete results from these meetings? Well, sure. Well, first of all, as you highlight, the US-Iraq, Higher Military Commission meetings started in January and this was an outcome of the US-Iraq Joint Security Cooperation Dialogue that was held last summer in 2023. Just this week, in fact, the senior representatives from US and Iraq side met in Baghdad. And we continue to see progress through this important forum. And I think notably, as the readout of the meeting highlighted, was that what this is allowing us to do, is to work through a systematic process by which working groups are able to assess a few things. Number one, what is the threat of ISIS as it exists today? Also, what is the current operational environment that we find ourselves in? But then also, importantly, what are the capabilities of Iraqi security forces. And so, what these working groups will do is be able to inform the senior leaders of both Iraq and the US, both on the civilian, political, and military side, in terms of an orderly transition from the international coalition to defeat ISIS, to a long term, enduring bilateral security agreement between not only United States, but all coalition nations that have been supporting the defeat ISIS mission. So, we'll continue to look forward to these conversations and look forward to the outcomes. But I think, just an example of the important relationship that our two countries have, and the work that's being done to ensure that we continue to advance regional security and stability. Is there any deadline for those meetings? So, I mean, clearly, you know, they're going to continue to work towards an outcome that gets to an orderly transition. I don't have any specific dates to provide to you today, other than to say, we all know how important this work is, particularly as it relates to ensuring that Iraq can continue to preserve its sovereignty and preserve its security. And importantly, from the United States standpoint, that we can continue to develop our relationship with Iraq, and continue to work together to advance regional security and stability throughout the entire area. One thing that we have heard from Iraqi leaders during the past few months, especially after October 7, political parties in Iraq have been divided on the US presence in Iraq. Some of them are requesting the US departure. And the rest want the US forces to be there because of the ISIS threats. So, could you tell us, what's the US position on that? Are you going to stay in Iraq? Or are you going to leave Iraq? What's your plan? And what's your position on that? Yeah, sure, Well, of course, when it comes to internal domestic discussions and internal domestic politics, that's really something best for the Iraqi government to discuss and to comment on. I would say, from a US standpoint, we value Iraq as a partner. We obviously share the same interest in terms of regional security and stability. We share an interest in ensuring that ISIS cannot present the threat that it once did, but also recognizing that there still is a threat there. But at the end of the day, the United States military is there, of course, at the invitation of the government of Iraq, in a non-combat role to train, advise Iraqi security forces as it relates to the defeat-ISIS mission. But again, what the Higher Military Commission will help us do is look at how we're going to transition from that mission to an enduring bilateral security cooperation and relationship and so don't want to get ahead of that process. But at the end of the day, again, our focus is on working closely with our partner Iraq to ensure that not only Iraqi or the Iraqi people that they're safe and secure, but again, that we're working together to advance regional security and stability. General two things on that, first, have you received any formal requests from the Iraqi government to consider setting a deadline for US force presence in Iraq? And secondly, will a US troop departure or presence be a part of discussions of the Iraqi prime minister’s meetings with US officials, especially with President Biden? Yeah, well, at this point, I don't want to get into hypotheticals. Again, we have a process in place to talk about the enduring and long-term US- Iraq security relationship that will come through the Higher Military Commission process. So, I don't want to get ahead of that. What about that request? Have you received any requests on that? Again, there, I'm not aware of any specific request other than to say, again, I think you've heard the prime minister highlight his perspective. So, I'd refer you to his comments. But the Higher Military Commission affords an opportunity to have those conversations in a systemic way that looks at the three areas that I highlighted, which is the threat that ISIS poses, the operational environment, and then, of course, Iraqi security force [ISF] capabilities, which you know, to give credit where credit is due, the ISF, to include the Peshmerga, have played an absolutely essential role in terms of putting ISIS on its back foot, and, of course, being territorially defeated in 2019, but still posing a regional threat. When we talk about Iraq, we know that there is the Iraqi defense ministry, and also there is the Iraqi Intelligence Service, and also, there are militia groups in Iraq. And some of these militia groups are backed by Iran and some of them are not under the control of the Iraqi prime minister’s authority. So, first of all, what's your assessment on that? And secondly, have you ever reached out to Iran about those militia groups that are in Iraq and make problems for you? They make problems for the Iraqi government, and they pose threats to regional security as well? Well, again, that's really something better left to the Iraqi government to address in terms of the militia groups within Iraq. What I would say is for US forces that are there, again, our focus is on supporting the Iraqi government and Iraqi security forces when it comes to ensuring that they have the ability to continue to prevent ISIS from being the threat that it was. You know, we're at the 10 year anniversary, of course, of ISIS’s attacks deep into Iraq, you know. And look, we respect Iraqi sovereignty, we obviously want to be a valued partner and we'll continue to stay focused on that. If our forces are threatened, of course, we have an inherent responsibility to protect and defend our forces. I know that we're very appreciative of Iraqi security forces in terms of looking out for our forces. And of course, we are always having conversations with our Iraqi partners in terms of making sure that the forces that are there are safe. But I'll just leave it there. Have you ever reached Iran to rein in these groups, to not attack your forces. Last year, they attacked your forces several times in the Kurdistan Region and also in Iraq. Well, certainly Iran continues to pose a threat to broader regional security and stability. Unfortunately, they are choosing to employ proxy groups to sow distrust and tension and, to be frank, destruction throughout the region. This is not a new problem. We've seen Iranian proxies conduct these kinds of attacks over the years as a policy tool, in effect, in order to affect outcomes desirable to… Any message to the Iranian government on that, through the Iraqi government or indirectly? Well, again, I think that, you know, our message is going to be that our focus is on regional security and stability and working with partners in the region to allow people to live in peace, to respect sovereignty, and to, you know, create the kind of environment where all peoples want to live. But if US forces are threatened or attacked, as we've demonstrated in the past, we will not hesitate to take appropriate action. This is a public message, but were there any private messages to the Iranian government? I can't get into private diplomatic discussions. OK, another issue in Iraq when you're talking about security, we know that ISIS is still active in both Iraq and Syria. What's your assessment of ISIS threats at the current time? Well, you know, certainly ISIS is nowhere near what it was back, you know, in 2014, when they first kicked off their cruel attacks across the region. As I mentioned, they were territorially defeated in 2019. But the threat still does remain regionally. And it's important that we continue to put pressure on ISIS’s leadership and capabilities to prevent them from ever resurging. I think probably one of the most dangerous aspects is the large number of ISIS detainees, as you know, that are at al-Hol [northeast Syria]. And so, the Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve has been working closely with Iraq and other countries throughout the region when it comes to repatriation of those detainees to try to reduce the pressure cooker that is that camp. And so that's something that we'll continue to work closely on with our international allies and partners, again, to include Iraqi security forces and the Peshmerga. Do you have any data? Or do you have any idea how many ISIS militants there are in Iraq and Syria? I don't have a number to provide to you. But you know, we do continue to see periodic reports of ISIS attacks. Again, I will give credit where it's due to Iraqi security forces, counterterrorism forces, which have done a good job of suppressing ISIS. But I think we also know, as evidenced by places around the world to include Moscow and Africa, we see ISIS attempting to resurge in places. And so, this is an insidious idea that needs to be addressed. And certainly no one wants to see what we saw back in 2014, when ISIS was literally 24 kilometers from Baghdad, on the outskirts of Erbil, and the horrific scenes that we saw. In Iraq, we have the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Could you describe or characterize your military relations with the Ministry of Peshmerga first? And secondly, how do you assess the Peshmerga reform process that you've been busy with, working with them to cut the political hands in that process? What's your assessment on that? Well, sure. Well, the Peshmerga continue to be an integral part of the effort to defeat ISIS and certainly, you know, the courage and the capability of Peshmerga forces is well known, and certainly in the fight against ISIS. You know, it's too many examples to give here in terms of the effectiveness that they've had in that campaign. And so that's important. And as you know, in 2022, the US Department of Defense and the KRG [Kurdistan Regional Government], signed a memorandum of understanding that is going to continue to look at ways that the Peshmerga can continue to unify up under the Ministry of Peshmerga affairs, and also continue to help develop the Peshmerga forces into a credible, combat-capable force. And so those efforts continue in earnest. And we're very excited to continue to keep that momentum going. At the end of the day, the Peshmerga, you know, when you talk about the Higher Military Commission, for example, the Peshmerga are a key part of that. They're also part of the USA-Iraq Joint Security Cooperation Dialogue. And so, we greatly value the role that Peshmerga forces play when it comes to regional security and stability. And in particular, as part of the defeat-ISIS mission. In the fiscal year 2025 budget, you requested about 138 million more than the previous year for Iraq and Syria. But we see that if we look into the numbers, we see that the amount of money that has been provided to the Peshmerga forces salary has decreased drastically. Could you speak to that and explain why? Well, actually, in the fiscal year 2025 budget, as I understand, we've actually increased the amount of money dedicated to Iraqi security forces, to include the Peshmerga, increased it by about 138 million. And so, what you're going to see is about $60 million that will go towards paying stipends for Peshmerga forces. And you're going to see about $58 million going to training and equipping of Peshmerga forces. And really what these funds will do, if appropriated by Congress, is help to support two new brigades for new desert battalions, additional watchtowers, again, key capabilities that will help along the Kurdish line of control when it comes to defeating ISIS and providing regional security and stability. As we are talking about the budget, in last year's budget, Congress added an article or a part to that budget and requested the Department of Defense to provide the KRG with an anti-missile defense system. So, are you going to provide that, as the president signed this National Authorization Act last year in December? And how do you deal with that part of this Act? Yeah. So, we continue to work towards ensuring that the KRG and the Peshmerga have the capabilities they need. Certainly, you know, we continue to have those conversations with our Iraqi counterparts. And we continue to encourage our KRG counterparts to communicate that message internally, of course. But again, you know, we greatly value the important role that Peshmerga forces play. And so, this will continue to be an important part of our conversation Are you considering providing them with a defense system to face threats that are coming from Iran and from the militia groups? I don't have anything specific to read out or announce today. But again, I know that, for example, looking at counter-UAS [drone] capabilities is an important aspect that we're looking at, in addition to the capabilities that I highlighted. A question on Syria. We know that your presence in Iraq is very helpful to your military presence in Syria. So how important is it to have US troops on ground in Iraq in order to maintain the focus on ISIS in Syria? Well, it's important to understand the difference between what US forces are doing in Iraq versus what they're doing in Syria. In Iraq, our forces are there in a non-combat role to train, advise and equip Iraqi security forces, again, at the invitation of the government of Iraq. And so it's really Iraqi security forces that are focused on the actual, you know, engagement with ISIS. In Syria, US forces are there working with partners to again, make sure that ISIS can't resurge. So a little bit of a different environment. And of course, you know, supporting groups like the Syrian Democratic Forces [SDF], when it comes to al-Hol prison, and ensuring that they have the support they need to make sure that that prison, you know, maintains its integrity, and that, again, we can repatriate forces. So, a little bit different in that regard, but again, all focused on the overall important strategic and operational mission of ensuring the lasting defeat of ISIS. As we are on Syria, how do you assess your relations with the SDF, especially in the future? Because we hear a lot of reports suggesting that the US is planning, proposing or discussing withdrawing from Syria. Could you speak to that? What will be future relations with the SDF, when we see that there are still a huge number of ISIS prisoners in the facilities there and also the threats of an ISIS resurgence are valid? Yeah, well, you know, as we sit here, you know, again, we have a mission that we've been given. We stay focused on that mission. The SDF have been very reliable partners when it comes to combating ISIS. And again, we'll continue to stay closely linked with them moving forward in terms of the defeat-ISIS missions. I'm heading to my last questions. You were in the Kurdistan Region a couple of times. Could you speak of the first time that you went to Kurdistan and tell us how this experience was for you? Sure, well, my first visit was to Zakho, back in December of 1995. And as you recall, there was a pretty significant humanitarian situation there at the time. And so, of course, you had the no-fly zone over northern Iraq and Kurdistan Region at that time. And so, I had the opportunity to travel there and to meet with some of our forces that were helping to escort aid convoys. At the time, people were incredibly friendly and welcoming. And it was a, you know, a very special moment. Over the years, I've had the opportunity to travel back, most notably to Erbil quite a few times. Certainly, you know, during the counter-ISIS operation, of course. And again, we've always been welcomed with open arms. And the last question. When the prime minister will be here next week, what's on the table? And what do you expect from the meetings? And what does the US want to gain from the meetings? Well, sure. Well, we'll certainly have much more to say when the meeting occurs. Of course, I know that [Defense] Secretary Austin is looking forward to the opportunity to meet with the prime minister and to discuss the status of US and Iraqi relations. Again, Iraq is a valued partner. We greatly appreciate their contributions to regional security and stability and we look forward to continuing to advance that relationship going forward. Thank you so much General for being on Rudaw. My pleasure.
