US pledges nearly $250 million in military equipment to Kurdistan Region

The head of the Kurdistan Region's Peshmerga Ministry announced on Tuesday that the United States had committed almost $250 million in security assistance to his ministry that will include vehicles, communications equipment, and training.

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The head of the Kurdistan Region's Peshmerga Ministry announced on Tuesday that the United States had committed almost $250 million in security assistance to his ministry that will include vehicles, communications equipment, and training.

Peshmerga Minister Shorsh Ismail made the statement at a joint press conference with US Ambassador to Iraq Matthew Tueller during a ceremony in Erbil following a meeting between the two. 

"Peshmerga forces need the continued support and coordination of the international coalition, especially the United States of America," he said, pointing out that "Peshmerga, along with the coalition, had a great role in breaking the thorn of ISIS."

He was, however, quick to point out that the threat posed by the Islamic State continues to be a significant challenge for both Peshmerga forces and the Iraqi military in multiple areas, notably in territories disputed by Baghdad and Erbil in the provinces of Nineveh, Diyala, and Kirkuk. 

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Iraq and Peshmerga forces together under joint coordination had provided security much more effectively than Iraqi forces and Iran-backed militias of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) have proven to be capable of, ever since they attacked Peshmerga and pushed them from the areas as part of Baghdad's hostile response to the Kurdistan Region's 2017 independence referendum. 

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Regarding coordination between the Peshmerga forces and the Iraqi forces in these areas, something Kurdistan Region officials have repeatedly and consistently called for, Ismail said, "We have made great attempts to strengthen relations with the Iraqi Ministry of Defense."

"We hope that we will establish joint programs with the Ministry of Defense to carry out operations against ISIS."

During his turn at the microphone, Ambassador Tueller said, "It is a pleasure to be here today with you and your officers and to witness the cooperation between our government and your Ministry of Peshmerga. The equipment in these warehouses is just part of more than 100 vehicles, radios, and maintenance that the United States is providing the Ministry at the cost of $250 million."

In a meeting with Tueller and US Consul General in Erbil Rob Waller on Monday, Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani expressed concern over the treatment of the Kurdish population in the disputed territories.

Read More: PM Masrour Barzani meets US ambassador: expresses ‘concerns’ over treatment of Kurds in disputed territories; ‘positive atmosphere’ in Erbil-Baghdad talks

Barzani also explained to Tueller that there had been a "positive atmosphere" in the recent discussions between Erbil and Baghdad.

Both meetings followed on the second round of the "Strategic Dialogue" between the US and Iraq, held last month in Washington. In those discussions, US officials pressed their Iraqi counterparts to settle their differences with Erbil in accord with Iraq’s 2005 constitution—as Kurdish officials have long called for.

Read MoreThe US-Iraq Strategic Dialogue: Good news for the Kurdistan Region

Tueller said that the considerable US support for the Peshmerga announced on Tuesday was "a tangible symbol of our commitment to the people of Iraq, and to the Iraqi Kurdistan Region, just as the importance of the equipment is the training that comes with it." 

"As we saw at the height of the campaign against ISIS, you brave Peshmerga fighters are indispensable to Iraq’s security," continued the ambassador. "We are all grateful for the sacrifices you have made, and the region as a whole is more secure because of your courage and commitment." 

Editing by John J. Catherine