Major General Matthew McFarlane, the outgoing commanding general of the Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve, speaking to reporters in Erbil on August 20, 2023. Photo: Rudaw/Screengrab
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The outgoing commander of the US-led coalition forces in Iraq and Syria on Sunday said that the absence of a Peshmerga minister has stalled the efforts to reform and unify the forces, warning that Washington might stop providing assistance to the Peshmerga ministry if no progress is made.
Peshmerga Minister Shoresh Ismail, submitted his resignation from the position late last year citing constant meddling of political parties in the ministry’s affairs. He is no longer filling the role even though his resignation has not yet been officially accepted by the Council of Ministers.
Major General Matthew McFarlane, the outgoing commanding general of the Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve, said that they have expressed their “disappointment” over the Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) failure to meet some of the key objectives outlined in the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between and the US Department of Defense and the Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs in September last year.
The MoU highlights Washington’s commitment to supporting the Peshmerga forces in the fight against the Islamic State (ISIS), and the Peshmerga ministry’s commitment to advance the professionalization of its forces and undertake institutional reforms, including the unification of the forces.
“The most recent review identified that the Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs has made some progress on the implementation of the MoU milestones, but the absence of a Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs minister has weakened the institution and stalled progress on efforts to unify and professionalize the force,” McFarlane told reporters in Erbil on Sunday.
The failure to appoint a new minister is believed to be related to tensions between the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) and its rival, Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP).
McFarlane encouraged the KRG to appoint a minister before the publication of the annual assessment of the reforms effort in September, warning that the failure to do so could result in Washington cutting off its assistance to the Peshmerga forces.
“The inability of the KRG to achieve objectives, key results, or milestones outlined in the MoU could negatively affect the Department of Defense’s ability to continue providing security assistance to the Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs,” he added, “if we continue to see a lack of progress, we will consider taking appropriate action to ensure we are investing in something that has a viable future.”
Under the supervision of Western allies, especially the US, Kurdish authorities have launched a reforms process in the Peshmerga forces with the hope of bringing all units under the control of the Peshmerga ministry. Some units are still affiliated to the ruling parties.
McFarlane and a high delegation of the coalition later met with Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani, discussing the latest developments in the Peshmerga reforms process and the fight against ISIS.
President Barzani expressed the Kurdistan Region’s gratitude to the support that the coalition has provided Iraq and the Kurdistan Region over the years and to McFarlane, as he concludes his mandate in Iraq and Syria.
The Kurdish President also welcomed Major General Joel B. Vowell, the new commanding general of the Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve, and wished him luck in his new duty.
No increased US presence in Iraq
Reports of an increased US military presence on Iraqi soil have circulated in recent days, suggesting that Washington have boosted the number of their troops on the border between Iraq and Syria.
Hassan Salem, an MP from the Shiite al-Sadiqoun bloc, a party affiliated with the Iran-backed Asaib Ahl al-Haq militia, claimed during a press conference last week that around 2,500 US soldiers have been recently stationed in Anbar’s Ain al-Asad airbase, calling the alleged movement of troops “a true violation of Iraqi sovereignty.”
The coalition commander labeled the reports as nothing more than “rumors”, stating that the US forces are currently undertaking a routine transition of units, as they have done for the past nine years.
“I have seen those rumors as well, and they are just that – rumors. We have been here for quite some time. Nine years for the coalition being here, and every year we are rotating units and soldiers at six, nine-month, and 12-month increments. We are in the middle of one of those rotations right now,” said McFarlane in response to a reporter's question.
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani stressed during a security meeting last week that Iraq was no longer in need of the presence of any foreign combat forces on its soil.
An Iraqi security delegation and a US Department of Defense delegation held the inaugural US-Iraq Joint Security Cooperation Dialogue in Washington, D.C. earlier this month, reiterating their commitment to developing Iraq’s security and the capabilities of its armed forces.
Both sides confirmed that US forces remain in Iraq in an advisory, non-combat role, and upon the invitation of the Iraqi government, to ensure the lasting defeat of ISIS through continuing security cooperation with the Iraqi security forces and the Kurdish Peshmerga.
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