Coalition spokesperson praises Peshmerga, Kurdish advisors in farewell speech

Karwan Faidhi Dri

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — The Global Coalition against the Islamic State (ISIS) respects Peshmerga fighters who left their livelihoods to defeat the terror group, its outgoing spokesperson said in a tribute on Sunday.

“We must never forget the men and women who were willing to face death on behalf of innocent civilians. The coalition respects and admires the Peshmerga, many who left their jobs in factories and on farms and picked up weapons, moved close, faced the evil of ISIS and crushed them,” said Col. Myles B Caggins III in his farewell press conference in Erbil. 

According to Colonel Hersh Goroni of the Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs, 1,687 Peshmerga and officers have been killed since the war against ISIS began in June 2014, with 45 missing in action and 9,069 wounded.

In an emotional conference on Saturday, Caggins also bade farewell to the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a key ally in the fight against the terror group in northeast Syria (Rojava).

“Our first [joint] press conference was right after [Operation] Peace Spring,” he said, referring to the October 2019 military operation by Turkey and Syrian proxies against the SDF in northern Syria.

“I know how difficult that is for you guys. I know how your families were affected by it. And you know, behind these uniforms, we are people too. We’re going to do the best we can do to help the people in this region to have the same type of peace and prosperity coalition nations [have].”  

The coalition consists of 77 nations. It was established in 2014 to prevent ISIS advances in Syria and Iraq, and is mainly allied with the Peshmerga forces and Iraqi Armed Forces (ISF) in Iraq and the SDF in Rojava. 

According to Caggins, the coalition and allied ground forces have been able to free 7.7 million people and 110,000 square kilometers from ISIS in both Syria and Iraq. Some 35,000 airstrikes have been conducted since 2014, he added. 

The spokesman will be replaced by Col. Wayne Marotto.

In Erbil, Caggins awarded a medal to Tanya Aziz, the Coalition Commanding General's special advisor for cultural affairs and politics, for her contributions to the coalition.

Aziz is a “lion, majestic and magnificent, nothing can stop her from advocating for Kurdistan and people in this region, she is an expert in defense, diplomacy and counter-terrorism,” Caggins said.  

Speaking to Rudaw English on Monday, Aziz praised Caggins as “gracious and supportive.”

An American citizen from Sulaimani, Aziz has worked with the US Department of Defense for 18 years, and with the coalition for three. 

“She managed to connect me with extraordinary people in Iraq and Syria, notably she introduced us to a man known around the world  as an expert on ISIS, Dr Husham [al-Hashimi] …. we will forever remember his impact and his contribution to make the world a safer place.”

Security analyst Husham al-Hashimi was assassinated in Baghdad on July 6, and was widely respected as a top expert on ISIS and armed groups. 

Speaking of Hashimi, Aziz said she “cannot forget the murder of her best friend.”

Additional reporting by Fazel Hawramy 

Video filmed at coalition military base in Hasaka province, Syria on July 28, 2020