Masrour Barzani reaffirms long-term security, military cooperation with US

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Chancellor of the Kurdistan Region Security Council (KRSC), Masrour Barzani, on Tuesday, highlighted security and military cooperation with Washington in a meeting with the US envoy.

Barzani received US Special Presidential Envoy Brett McGurk for the Global Coalition to defeat the Islamic State (IS) in Erbil.

During the meeting, attended by Ambassador to Iraq, Douglas Silliman, and Consul General in Erbil, Steven Fagin, Barzani and McGurk discussed ongoing negotiations in Baghdad to form a new, inclusive, and representative Iraqi Federal Government.

Following the May 12 national election, parties across Iraq and the Kurdistan Region have been engaged in intense talks over the formation of the largest parliamentary bloc, a necessary step to form the new federal government.

The Kurds, which have secured a substantial number of seats in the Iraqi Parliament, are yet to decide which parliamentary bloc they would join as they seek to secure more right for the Kurdistan Region in Baghdad.

One leading contender for the position of prime minister, Adel Abdul Mahdi, who has previously held the positions of Iraqi Oil Minister and Finance Minister, has said that the Kurds will have the “main word” in choosing the next prime minister because they are the swing vote between the Shia blocs.

The fight against terrorism, in general, and IS, in particular, was another topic discussed between two officials. 

Barzani reaffirmed “the strong partnership between the Kurdistan Region and the US, and the importance of long-term security and military cooperation,” according to a statement issued by KRSC.

After three years of fierce fighting against IS, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi declared victory over the jihadist group in December of last year.

However, IS militants continue to launch insurgency-style attacks, kidnappings, and ambushes in the disputed provinces of Kirkuk, Diyala, and Salahuddin.

The Kurdish security and Peshmerga officials over the past few months have repeatedly warned Iraqi authorities, who are in control of the disputed areas now, about IS re-grouping in the region.

The US military officials have repeatedly encouraged both the Kurdish Peshmerga and Iraqi forces to cooperate their efforts in contested territories to prevent the re-emergence of the jihadist group.

Editing by Nadia Riva