ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - US and Iraqi defense officials met in Washington on Tuesday, reaching an understanding on how they should usher in a new phase of security ties, according to a joint statement released the following day.
“[T]he delegations reached an understanding on the concept for a new phase of the bilateral security relationship, which includes cooperation through liaison officers, training, and traditional security cooperation programs,” read the joint statement from both delegations.
“The delegations further discussed efforts to build the operational capacity of the Iraqi security forces through U.S. military assistance and security cooperation programs, including through Foreign Military Sales and Foreign Military Financing,” it added.
"Our bond is especially important as we mark the 10th year of the global coalition to defeat Daesh, and I'm proud to have been a part of that fight, " said US Department of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Tuesday, using the Arabic acronym for the Islamic State (ISIS).
Austin met with Iraqi Minister of Defense Thabet Muhammad al-Abbasi on Tuesday to conclude the two-day Joint Security Cooperation Dialogue. The Iraqi delegation was headed by officials from the defense ministry, the Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS), and Kurdistan’s Peshmerga. The US delegation was led by officials from the Central Command, State Department, and other US agencies.
While Baghdad has maintained that the commission aims to conclude the presence of the coalition forces in the country, Washington has described the step only as a “transition” in the coalition’s role.
State Department Spokesperson Mathew Miller told Rudaw's Diyar Kurda during a press briefing on Wednesday that "the question about the United States military presence in Iraq is something that we are discussing separately with them through the higher military commission that is an ongoing discussion with them."
In January, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani presided over the first meeting of the US-Iraq Higher Military Commission (HMC) to discuss the future of the coalition’s mission in Iraq.
The US has around 2,500 soldiers in Iraq. Pro-Iran militia groups have repeatedly called for the withdrawal of the troops and carried out dozens of attacks on US forces based in Iraq and Syria. Washington has responded with airstrikes.
“The Iraqi representatives reaffirmed its absolute commitment to protect personnel, advisors, convoys, and diplomatic facilities of the United States and international Coalition nations,” the joint statement read.
“A detailed joint statement on the future of the missions and presence of the Global Coalition in Iraq is planned to be issued soon after at the conclusion of the work of the HMC,” it noted.
