Qubad Talabani Urges U.S. Military Delegation to Prevent Assaults on Kurdistan, Iraq

Kurdistan 03:55 PM - 2023-09-21

Deputy Prime Minister's meeting with U.S. military delegation

Deputy Prime Minister Qubad Talabani met with a senior US military delegation led by Major General Joel B. Vowell, Commander of the Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve (CJTF-OIR), to discuss Peshmerga Ministry reforms and the attack on Counter Terrorism Group (CTG) forces at Arbat airfield.

The meeting on Thursday in Erbil was attended by Mark Stroh, US Consul General in the Kurdistan Region, and Major General Bakhtiar, Secretary General of the Peshmerga Ministry. They discussed the region's security situation, and both sides agreed that the situation has become challenging in general and that increased cooperation between coalition forces, Peshmerga forces, and Iraqi forces is required. They emphasized the importance of appointing an acting Peshmerga minister to foster coordination among these troops to collaborate and fight threats.

According to the Deputy Prime Minister, the absence of a Peshmerga Minister hinders the effectiveness of the Reform process. We have proposed a candidate to serve as acting Peshmerga Minister, and we hope that the legal procedures leading to his appointment will be concluded as quickly as possible so that the reform process can commence.

The meeting also addressed the CTG attack on the Arbat Airfield. The US military team offered Qubad Talabani and the CTG their condolences for losing three Peshmergas and wished those who suffered injuries a swift recovery.

In this regard, the Deputy PM said: "For the past 20 years, the CTG forces have been a crucial ally of coalition forces in the fight against terrorism in the surrounding area. The continuation of such attacks poses a grave threat to the security and stability of Iraq and the area. Therefore, the Iraqi government, coalition forces, and allies must adopt a serious stance and take decisive measures to stop future assaults and defend the sovereignty of Iraq and the Kurdistan Region."

 

PUKMEDIA