ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani on Thursday welcomed the start of the US-Iraq Higher Military Commission’s (HMC) talks regarding the future of “collaborative efforts” in various fields, including the military one.
“We welcome the agreement reached between the Iraqi Federal Government and the US Government to start the work of the US-Iraq Higher Military Commission (HMC), the progress made in the discussions on the bilateral relationship, and the future of the collaborative efforts in the political, economic, cultural, security, and military spheres,” read a statement from President Barzani.
The United States and Iraq earlier on Thursday announced the start of bilateral talks to discuss the future of the global coalition's anti-Islamic State (ISIS) mission in Iraq. Both sides will assess the ISIS threat and the capability of the Iraqi security forces to counter it, in the course of working group meetings.
In August, Washington and Baghdad held the inaugural US-Iraq Joint Security Cooperation Dialogue (JSCD) in the American capital to discuss ongoing security cooperation and other defense-related issues.
“The United States and the Government of Iraq will start working group meetings of the U.S.-Iraq Higher Military Commission (HMC) in the coming days, initiating a process the two sides committed to during the U.S.-Iraq Joint Security Cooperation Dialogue (JSCD) in Washington, D.C., on August 7-8, 2023. The commencement of the HMC process reflects the deep U.S. commitment to regional stability and Iraqi sovereignty,” said the Pentagon in a statement on Thursday.
President Barzani said the Kurdistan Region is “fully supportive” of the talks.
“The Kurdistan Region is fully supportive of this agreement and remains committed to upholding peace, security, stability, and the sovereignty of the country. Furthermore, we aim to foster relationships built on mutual respect and shared interests,” read the statement.
The Pentagon said that “during that [August] meeting, the United States and Iraq committed to start the HMC to discuss how the Coalition's mission to defeat ISIS will transition on a timeline that considers three key factors: the threat from ISIS, operational and environmental requirements, and the Iraqi security forces' capability levels.”
A Pentagon official later told journalists during a background press briefing that "the HMC meetings are not about a negotiation about the withdrawal of US forces from Iraq."
Iraq’s foreign ministry announced in a separate statement on Thursday that these efforts are aimed at formulating “a specific and clear timetable that specifies the duration of the presence of the international coalition’s advisors in Iraq, begin the deliberate gradual reduction of its advisors on Iraqi soil, end the military mission of the coalition against ISIS, and move to comprehensive bilateral political, economic, cultural, security, and military relations with the coalition countries that are consistent with the vision of the Iraqi government.”
Iraqi Defense Minister Thabet al-Abbassi said in a statement on Thursday that the withdrawal of the coalition forces will be determined after the HMC talks.
“Our armed forces are fully prepared for the withdrawal of coalition forces and to take full control of the security file in the country,” he added.
Around 2,500 American troops in Iraq and 900 in Syria are leading an international coalition through Operation Inherent Resolve that has assisted Kurdish, Iraqi, and local Syrian forces in the fight against ISIS, which once held swathes of land in Iraq and Syria but was declared territorially defeated in 2017 and 2019 respectively.
“We welcome the agreement reached between the Iraqi Federal Government and the US Government to start the work of the US-Iraq Higher Military Commission (HMC), the progress made in the discussions on the bilateral relationship, and the future of the collaborative efforts in the political, economic, cultural, security, and military spheres,” read a statement from President Barzani.
The United States and Iraq earlier on Thursday announced the start of bilateral talks to discuss the future of the global coalition's anti-Islamic State (ISIS) mission in Iraq. Both sides will assess the ISIS threat and the capability of the Iraqi security forces to counter it, in the course of working group meetings.
In August, Washington and Baghdad held the inaugural US-Iraq Joint Security Cooperation Dialogue (JSCD) in the American capital to discuss ongoing security cooperation and other defense-related issues.
“The United States and the Government of Iraq will start working group meetings of the U.S.-Iraq Higher Military Commission (HMC) in the coming days, initiating a process the two sides committed to during the U.S.-Iraq Joint Security Cooperation Dialogue (JSCD) in Washington, D.C., on August 7-8, 2023. The commencement of the HMC process reflects the deep U.S. commitment to regional stability and Iraqi sovereignty,” said the Pentagon in a statement on Thursday.
President Barzani said the Kurdistan Region is “fully supportive” of the talks.
“The Kurdistan Region is fully supportive of this agreement and remains committed to upholding peace, security, stability, and the sovereignty of the country. Furthermore, we aim to foster relationships built on mutual respect and shared interests,” read the statement.
The Pentagon said that “during that [August] meeting, the United States and Iraq committed to start the HMC to discuss how the Coalition's mission to defeat ISIS will transition on a timeline that considers three key factors: the threat from ISIS, operational and environmental requirements, and the Iraqi security forces' capability levels.”
A Pentagon official later told journalists during a background press briefing that "the HMC meetings are not about a negotiation about the withdrawal of US forces from Iraq."
Iraq’s foreign ministry announced in a separate statement on Thursday that these efforts are aimed at formulating “a specific and clear timetable that specifies the duration of the presence of the international coalition’s advisors in Iraq, begin the deliberate gradual reduction of its advisors on Iraqi soil, end the military mission of the coalition against ISIS, and move to comprehensive bilateral political, economic, cultural, security, and military relations with the coalition countries that are consistent with the vision of the Iraqi government.”
Iraqi Defense Minister Thabet al-Abbassi said in a statement on Thursday that the withdrawal of the coalition forces will be determined after the HMC talks.
“Our armed forces are fully prepared for the withdrawal of coalition forces and to take full control of the security file in the country,” he added.
Around 2,500 American troops in Iraq and 900 in Syria are leading an international coalition through Operation Inherent Resolve that has assisted Kurdish, Iraqi, and local Syrian forces in the fight against ISIS, which once held swathes of land in Iraq and Syria but was declared territorially defeated in 2017 and 2019 respectively.
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