Iraq still needs coalition support in face of terrorism threat, PM Barzani says

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The threat of terrorism, including from the so-called Islamic State, still faces Iraq and the country needs the US-led international coalition support to confront it, Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani said on Wednesday.

The premier’s remarks came during a press conference in the capital Erbil, where he shed light on a number of topics in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, including the upcoming Strategic Dialogue between Iraq and the US.

“The Kurdistan Region has its own decision,” Barzani said, adding that the Region’s understanding is that the threat of terrorism persists.

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“We believe that Iraq still faces serious terror threats, including from ISIS, and that the country still needs coalition support,” Barzani said in response to a question about the fate of international forces in Iraq who have been providing military support to the Iraqi and Kurdistan Region’s forces in the fight against Islamic State since 2014.

“The KRG is part of the US-Iraq Strategic Dialogue,” premier Barzani said, describing the discussions as “important” which is planned to take place this week.

The two countries are engaging in a new round of talks on security relations between the countries, mainly discussing the future nature of cooperation between their forces.  

Following the February 2020 American airstrike that killed Iranian top military commander Qassim Soleimani and his Iraqi comrade Abu Mahdi al Mohandis, the call for expulsion of the international forces in the country by Iran-aligned forces in Iraq rose.

In a session boycotted by Kurdish and Sunni lawmakers, the Iraqi parliament later passed a non-binding resolution calling for the withdrawal of foreign forces but has so far not ordered them to leave.

Editing by Joanne Stocker-Kelly