Politics

Underlying causes of the rise of ISIS ‘unaddressed:’ Kurdistan Region PM

The Kurdistan Region’s Prime Minister, Masrour Barzani, on Thursday said to a Norwegian delegation visiting Erbil that the root issues that facilitated the rise of the so-called Islamic State are still present and called for continued anti-ISIS efforts.

Kurdistan 24 2020/02/06 22:25

middle east Kurdistan Norway Baghdad Iraq Erbil ISIS

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The Kurdistan Region’s Prime Minister, Masrour Barzani, on Thursday said to a Norwegian delegation visiting Erbil that the root issues that facilitated the rise of the so-called Islamic State are still present and called for continued anti-ISIS efforts.

The Norwegian Foreign Ministry’s Special Envoy for Iraq and SyriaKnut Lien headed the Norwegian delegation, a statement from Barzani’s office said. They discussed the latest developments in both Iraq and Syria.

Lien praised the Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) “efforts in reducing regional tensions.” At the same time, Barzani thanked Norway for its support in combating the Islamic State as part of the Global Coalition led by the US.

Barzani “expressed his concerns that the underlying causes that led to the emergence of ISIS remain unaddressed,” calling on “more efforts to be made in prioritizing reforms.”

Over two years after Iraq’s declaration of victory over the Islamic State, public dissatisfaction with local reconstruction, services, employment, and poor standard of living remains prominent in areas the group once controlled.

Since October, the Iraqi government has again hit by crisis amid flaring demonstrations calling for the ouster of the country’s ruling elite whom they perceive to be unashamedly corrupt and blind to the concerns of the ailing public.

Barzani also called for the Global Coalition’s continued support for both the Kurdish Peshmerga and Iraqi security forces as a campaign to root out sleeper cells of the terrorist organization, mainly holed up in rural areas in areas disputed between Baghdad and Erbil.

The emergence of the Islamic State also led to the displacement of millions of civilians, with many people currently residing in camps in the Kurdistan Region.

Barzani and Lien discussed strengthening bilateral ties, “as economic security remains a vital part of the KRG’s efforts in hosting over 1.1 million IDPs and refugees fleeing conflict elsewhere,” the statement concluded.

Edited by John J. Catherine