An Iraqi security delegation headed by Defense Minister Thabet Muhammad al-Abbasi and an American delegation headed by Assistant Secretary of Defense Celeste Wallander, held the inaugural US-Iraq Joint Security Cooperation Dialogue in Washington, D.C. on Monday and Tuesday, discussing ongoing security cooperation and other defense-related issues.
Today I welcomed Iraqi Defense Minister Thabet al-Abbasi & leaders from @modmiliq & @iraqicts to the Pentagon at the inaugural US-Iraq Joint Security Cooperation Dialogue. We discussed the future of our security partnership & reaffirmed our commitment to the enduring defeat of… pic.twitter.com/uqHceDuYQI
— Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III (@SecDef) August 8, 2023
“The U.S. and Iraqi delegations reaffirmed their commitment to developing Iraq's security and defense capabilities and determination to deepen security cooperation across a full range of issues to advance our countries' shared interest in Iraq's security and sovereignty, and in the stability of the region,” read a joint statement from the delegations following the dialogue.
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 the Islamic State (ISIS) through continuing security cooperation with the Iraqi security forces and the Kurdish Peshmerga.
The Iraqi side reaffirmed Baghdad’s commitment to protecting US and coalition personnel as well as diplomatic envoys operating in the country, the statement added.
The delegations expressed their intent to consult on how the US-led global coalition’s role should evolve in the future based on the threat from ISIS and the Iraqi security force’s capability levels, and committed to forming a joint commission to handle that process.
The “urgent need to repatriate” ISIS-affiliated individuals from camps in northeast Syria (Rojava) and supporting their reintegration back into their communities was also discussed during the dialogue.
Al-Hol camp is located in northeast Syria’s Hasaka province and houses over 50,000 ISIS-linked people. The camp has infamously been branded a breeding ground for terrorism, with authorities describing it as a “ticking time bomb,” saying the situation in the camp is “very dangerous.” A large number of these people are Iraqis.
Iraq has repatriated thousands of ISIS-linked people from Rojava in recent years, including fighters from the group who were detained by the Kurdish forces.
Kurdish and American officials have repeatedly called on countries to repatriate their nationals from Syria but only a few have responded positively.
The joint statement added that both sides have noted their intent to hold subsequent Joint Security Cooperation Dialogues following the “successful completion” of this first iteration.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin visited both Baghdad and Erbil in March, meeting with top leaders and discussing Washington’s continued commitment to security cooperation with the Iraqi security forces and the Peshmerga in the face of the threat of an ISIS reemergence.
The global coalition against ISIS was formally established in October 2014, after ISIS took control of vast swathes of territories in Iraq and Syria. Consisting of 79 nations and five international organizations, the US-led coalition seeks to ensure ISIS’ “enduring defeat.”
The US security relationship with Iraq fully transitioned into an advising and assisting role in December 2021. There are currently about 2,500 US troops in Iraq, including in the Kurdistan Region.
The Strategic Framework Agreement, which went into effect in 2009, seeks to normalize Baghdad-Washington relations through setting long-term bilateral economic, diplomatic, cultural, and security cooperation.
