Peshmerga needs more support from the coalition

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (K24)–The Chancellor of the Kurdistan Region Security Council (KRSC), Masrour Barzani, stated on Thursday that the international coalition against the Islamic State (IS) should provide more support to the Peshmerga forces.

Barzani received a military delegation from France, headed by General Brigadier, Gregoire de Saint-Quentin, and the commander of Special Operations Command (SOC).

In the meeting in Erbil on Thursday, Barzani reminded his guests that IS is still a threat to the international community and Peshmerga requires more assistance and support from the coalition members.

According to the KRSC statement published on its official page on Facebook, Barzani said that “the international coalition has to assist the Peshmerga forces by covering the cost of the war.”

The KRSC Chancellor shed lights on the victories of the Peshmerga forces, explaining that “Since the beginning of the war, the IS attacks on December have been one of the biggest on the Peshmerga front lines. But Peshmerga bravery repelled the attacks."

Barzani asked the French delegation that, with help from the other members of the international coalition, they should support the Kurdistan Region Government (KRG) in this time of crisis. 

The Iraqi Federal Government cut the KRG budget. The cost of the war and hosting nearly two million refugees and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) have put tremendous pressure on the Kurdistan Region economy.

The French delegation stressed that “France is willing to take some steps in order to provide more support to the Peshmerga forces in the war against IS,” the statement added.

Since the emergence of IS in Iraq in June 2014, Peshmerga forces have been one of the most effective forces fighting on the ground, and have been able to push IS from much of the northern Iraq, liberating most of the territories occupied by IS extremists.