US-led coalition hands over base outside Baghdad to Iraqi forces

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The US-led coalition to defeat the Islamic State handed over a military base south of Baghdad on Saturday to Iraqi security forces (ISF).

Around 20 Spanish soldiers had been stationed at Besmayah base, which was targeted on Friday by four Katyusha rockets in an attack with no reported casualties.

According to sources which spoke to Kurdistan 24, the departure of Coalition forces from the military base has nothing to do with the recent attack but rather was previously scheduled as part of a withdrawal timetable already coordinated with Iraqi authorities.  

The Coalition explained in a statement that, "due to Iraqi forces' success in the campaign against Daesh, the Coalition is adjusting its positioning and focus in Iraq. These military movements are long-planned in coordination with the Government of Iraq."

Maj. Gen. Gerald Strickland, CJTF-OIR Deputy Commander for Strategy, continued, "Today marks the seventh base this year transferred to the ISF, as part of an ongoing partnership between the Iraqi security forces and the anti-ISIS international military Coalition." 

"Iraqi forces trained here were critical in the liberation of Mosul three years ago. Besmayah serves as a shining example of Iraqi military capability. The Coalition has supported the development of this facility, enabling the Iraqi military to deliver forces ready to root out the remnants of Daesh," added the officer.

Coalition activities at Besmayah were primarily led by Spanish forces, who trained nearly 50,000 Iraqi military personnel at the site in an approach known as “train-the-trainer.” In conjunction with their Portuguese partners, Spain’s military forces trained the ISF in a broad range of military tactics and programs.

The Spanish unit handed over to the Iraqis "what they invested in this base, with a total value of four million dollars in courses, barracks, weapons and training sites. The United States contributed $1 million to power generation and basic force protection materials and equipment," read the statement.

"The train-the-trainer courses were highly successful in building a sustainable future for Iraqi-led training programs," said Spanish Col. Leopoldo Ramirez, the CJTF-OIR senior national representative for Spain. "More than 5,000 Spanish soldiers served 12 rotations at this base, they can be very proud that their Iraqi partners have assumed full control and are capable of operating independently for a secure and stable future of Iraq."

Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani met on Wednesday with the head of the UN's international team tasked with investigating crimes of the Islamic State in efforts to hold those responsible to account and ensure justice for their victims. 

Read More: Kurdistan president affirms support for UN team investigating ISIS crimes 

At his office in Erbil, Barzani received Karim Ahmad Khan, who leads the United Nations Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by Da’esh (UNITAD).

The team was established by UN Security Council Resolution 2379 in 2017 “to support domestic efforts to hold ISIL (Da’esh) accountable by collecting, preserving, and storing evidence in Iraq of acts that may amount to war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide committed by the terrorist group.”

Editing by John J. Catherine