Masrour Barzani meets US, Canada military delegations; discuss Iran attack, Peshmerga support

Both sides expressed concern over Iran's recent attack on the Kurdistan Region.

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Chancellor of the Kurdistan Region Security Council (KRSC) Masrour Barzani met with separate Canadian and American military delegations in Erbil on Wednesday.

Chancellor Barzani received Maj. Gen. Patrick Roberson of the United States-led Operation Inherent Resolve to discuss the anti-Islamic State (IS) campaign in Iraq and Syria, as well as recent regional military developments, a statement from the KRSC said.

During the meeting, Maj. Gen. Roberson briefed the Kurdish leader on the final phase of the campaign in eastern Syria and continued efforts to disrupt IS activities in Iraq, the statement added.

“On Syria, both officials placed importance on the recent, reinvigorated US diplomatic engagement, and exchanged views on how to build meaningful trust between Kurdish political factions,” it continued.

According to the statement, Barzani and the US military delegation also expressed concerns over Iran’s missile attack on the headquarters of the Iranian Kurdish opposition parties in Koya, near Erbil.

Chancellor Barzani meets with US Maj. Gen. Patrick Roberson of the US-led Operation Inherent Resolve. (Photo: KRSC)
Chancellor Barzani meets with US Maj. Gen. Patrick Roberson of the US-led Operation Inherent Resolve. (Photo: KRSC)

In a separate meeting, the KRSC Chancellor met Canada’s new Commander of Special Operations Command Maj. Gen. Peter Dawe to discuss, among other issues, the security partnership between Peshmerga and Coalition troops in the Kurdistan Region.

Barzani thanked Canada for its support to  Kurdistan through the anti-IS campaign and welcomed Maj. Gen. Dawe’s commitment for a strong partnership and his aim to deliver a lasting defeat to IS extremists.

Chancellor Barzani meets with Canada’s new Commander of Special Operations Command Maj. Gen. Peter Dawe. (Photo: KRSC)
Chancellor Barzani meets with Canada’s new Commander of Special Operations Command Maj. Gen. Peter Dawe. (Photo: KRSC)

According to the KRSC statement, Barzani and Dawe had a lengthy exchange on factors fueling IS’ activities in Kirkuk, Diyala, Mosul, and Anbar.

In the meeting, Barzani “emphasized that failure to address underlying causes in Iraq and beyond, including social and economic challenges, risks undercutting the progress in the fight against terrorism.”

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany