WATCH: US military spokesmen hail Peshmerga

A US military spokesmen highly praised the Peshmerga in a press briefing on Wednesday.

WASHINGTON, DC, United States (Kurdistan24) - A US military spokesmen highly praised the Peshmerga in a press briefing on Wednesday. Speaking from Baghdad, Colonel John Dorrian, the spokesman for the US-led coalition (Operation Inherent Resolve), described the role of the Peshmerga as “absolutely magnificent.” Dorrian added that the Peshmerga have been “very forward leaning and very effective in defeating Da'esh (Islamic State).”

Captain Jeff Davis, the Defense Department’s Director of Press Operations, spoke to Kurdistan24 after the briefing and characterized the Peshmerga’s contribution in similar terms, calling it “fabulous.” Davis noted that the Peshmerga had done “the lion’s share” of the fighting.”

Last month, the Pentagon’s Inspector General (IG) issued a report entitled, “Assessment of U.S. and Coalition Efforts to Train, Advise, Assist, and Equip the Kurdish Security Forces in Iraq.” The report was surprisingly critical of the US Army.

Based on field studies conducted in December 2015, the IG report concluded that the US had not delivered the weapons that were promised to the Peshmerga and no facilities had been established to support the maintenance of those weapons.

Kurdistan24 asked Dorrian whether, in the year of the IG’s fieldwork, those problems had been corrected.

“I don't know that I can say that every single thing in that report has been addressed,” Dorrian replied. “I can tell you that there's been a substantial effort to arm and equip the Peshmerga.”

As Kurdistan24 pressed for further detail, Dorrian offered to follow up on the matter—an offer which Kurdistan24 will certainly pursue.

Dorrian began his briefing by detailing the progress coalition forces, along with their partner forces, have been making in the fight against the Islamic State (IS).

Over the past month, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), of which the Kurdish YPG (People’s Protection Units) are the main component, have liberated over 500 square miles of Syrian territory from IS.

The SDF is now moving on Tabqa Dam, which was seized by IS in 2013 and used as a “headquarters, a prison for high-profile hostages, and a training and indoctrination area for leaders,” Dorrian explained.

“We're working with our SDF partners to ensure the dam is effectively and safely recovered,” he said.

The Spokesman also named three high-ranking IS figures killed in coalition airstrikes in Iraq over the past month. One—Imad Abdullah Hamud al-Mahallawi—struck near the Syrian border, was described as “a legacy Al-Qaeda Iraq member.”

Mahallawi had been in al-Qaim, and Dorrian suggested he was there as part of an IS effort to carry out “spoiler attacks” in outlying areas, as the terrorist organization loses territory in its heartland.

A fourth IS leader, Abu Jandal al-Kuwaiti, was killed in Syria, near the Tabqa Dam.

Since the second phase of the Mosul operation began on Dec. 29, Iraqi forces have made “significant progress,” according to Dorrian. They are conducting “synchronized simultaneous attacks” on three axes.

Lieutenant General Stephen Townsend, Commanding General of the coalition forces, explained to Reuters the coalition had advised the Iraqis they needed to coordinate better among their different forces. Shortly before phase two began, they had begun to do so.

 

Editing by Delovan Barwari