ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi announced Wednesday the official ending of the global coalition against the Islamic State’s (ISIS) combat mission in the country, adding that their new role is to advise and assist local security forces. “The Coalition have fully completed their combat role after transfer of personnel and material outside Iraq. Going forward, their role will be to advise and assist our security forces per the outcome of the Strategic Dialogue,” Kadhimi said in a tweet , referring to a string of meetings between Iraqi and US in the last two years. “We thank the leadership of the Coalition, it’s members, our partners and neighbors in combating Daish and reaffirm that our security forces stand ready to defend our people,” he added. The Coalition was formally established in October 2014, after ISIS took control of vast swathes of territories in Iraq and Syria. Consisting of 84 nations, the US-led Coalition’s mission has been “degrading and ensuring Daesh’s enduring defeat,” it says on its website, using Arabic acronym for the extremist group. Strategic Dialogue between the US and Iraq began under the administration of former President Donald Trump in June 2020, with the first round of talks under Joe Biden’s administration being held in April. In the last round, a joint statement from both countries said that the US will move its remaining combat troops out of Iraq. The Coalition’s shift to high-level advisory work comes as ISIS threatens the security of the country, launching attacks on Iraqi and Kurdish forces. Tens of members from both forces have been killed by the group’s militants recently, especially in areas disputed by Erbil and Baghdad. On Tuesday, ISIS released on its Telegram propaganda channel photos purportedly showing the beheading of an Iraqi police officer, Colonel Yasser al-Jourani, who was kidnapped by the group earlier this month while he was hunting with friends in Diyala province. Security forces confirmed his death to AFP on Wednesday. Top US general for the Middle East Marine Frank McKenzie warned earlier this month of an uptick in offensives "on US and Iraqi personnel by Iranian-backed militias" who oppose the Western, and especially American, presence in the country. Iran-backed Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF, or Hashd al-Shaabi) have claimed that they want the full withdrawal of US troops, not only the combat ones. Some of its commanders have also threatened to attack US troops if they do not fully withdraw. US embassy in Baghdad, which has suspended its services following attacks by pro-Iran groups, warned its citizens on Monday that demonstrations may take place in coming days due to disputes over October elections results as well as “the December 31 deadline for the transition of U.S. military operations in Iraq and the January 3 anniversary of the airstrike that killed Qasem Soleimani.” Soleimani and a top Hashd leader were killed by a US airstrike in Baghdad on January 3, 2020. The Coalition said on Tuesday that its officials told Iraqi army during an annual meeting on Monday that “we were honored to take pare [in the fight against ISIS], noting that our combat mission is over and we have transitioned to #AdviseAssistEnable ISF, as invited guests, to maintain the lasting defeat of Daesh.” Iraqi counter-terror forces held a military drill in Baghdad on Saturday, staging a military exercise mobilizing the response to militant attacks. A top Iraqi military leader said the Iraqi forces will continue to need the Coalition’s support to combat ISIS remnants and other extremist groups. The American forces will not have any direct combat role on the ground, but that their advisors will be here for training, intelligence missions and some other kinds of work,” Spokesperson for the Joint Operations Command Major General Tahsin al-Khafaji said.
