US Sec Def: Baghdad must share arms with Sunnis

WASHINGTON—US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter vowed on Tuesday to continue support for “capable partners” on the ground in Iraq and Syria against the Islamic State.

“We won’t hold back from supporting capable partners in opportunistic attacks against ISIL, or conducting such missions directly, whether by strikes from the air or direct action on the ground,” said Carter during a testimony alongside the Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair General Joseph Dunford at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on US strategy in the Middle East.

ISIL is an alternative acronym for ISIS preferred by the US government.

Carter’s comments came amid increasing concerns from Turkey over close cooperation between the US and Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) in Syria. 

The Pentagon chief touched on the joint Kurdish-US Special Forces operation that set free 69 Sunni Arabs in an ISIS prison near Hawija on October 22, saying that while the US role in Iraq is to “train, advise and assist” Iraqi forces, US forces will support partners when reliable intelligence is available.

Master Sergeant Joshua Wheeler, a member of the US Special Forces accompanying Kurdish counter terrorism units during the rescue mission, died from wounds sustained in the October 22 rescue mission. Six Kurdish commandos were wounded as well.

Carter also warned that a defeat of extremism in Iraq will only be for the short term if the Baghdad central government fails to incorporate Sunni Arab forces and fairly distribute arms provided by the US to other partners countering ISIS.

“We’ve given the Iraqi government two battalions worth of equipment for mobilizing Sunni tribal forces; as we continue to provide this support, the Iraqi government must ensure it is distributed effectively,” he said.

“If local Sunni forces aren’t sufficiently equipped, regularly paid and empowered as co-equal members of the Iraqi security forces, ISIL’s defeats in Anbar will only be temporary,” Carter warned.

He also hailed Kurdish forces as a model that the US is looking for to work with on the ground. 

"The Kurdish Peshmerga are an excellent example of capable, motivated ground forces and so they have taken, held territory. We support them," he said.

According to Carter, more than 14 other countries are shipping "tons" of equipment for the Kurds, ensuring the senators that weapons are delivered to the Peshmerga in a timely manner. 

"Rapidity and certainty of supply are very important for them," said Carter, who repeated the White House's constant policy of sending military supplies to the Kurds via Baghdad. 

"We have a policy of routing equipment to Kurdish Peshmerga through the government of Baghdad," he said. 

Carter reasoned that routing weapons via Baghdad comes in the framework of the US support for a multi-ethnic government in Iraq.