ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani met on Monday with Major General Kevin Leahy, commander of the US-led Global Coalition to Defeat the Islamic State (ISIS), to discuss political and security developments in Iraq and the Region, as well as Peshmerga reforms and the need for continued coordination among Iraqi, Kurdish, and Coalition forces.
The discussions, which included the Region’s Peshmerga minister and chief of staff, and the US consul general, saw President Barzani express his “appreciation for the contributions of the international coalition in supporting Iraq and the Kurdistan Region in their battle against terrorism,” according to a statement from the Kurdistan Region Presidency.
He further “commended General Leahy for his efforts and support in the reform process and the unification of the Peshmerga.”
The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has been working to unify its military forces under the Peshmerga Ministry. This effort involves integrating the powerful Unit 70 and Unit 80 - affiliated with the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) and the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), respectively - into a single chain of command. Together, these units make up the majority of the Peshmerga forces, totaling over 100,000 troops.
The initiative has received steady support from international allies, especially the United States and the US-led Global Coalition against ISIS.
In early July, Babakir Zebari, an advisor to the Region’s presidency and former chief of staff of Iraq’s Army, told Rudaw that the long-anticipated unification of the Peshmerga forces is in its final phase and is expected to be completed by the end of the year.
“We are working on force unification and brigade formation,” Zebari said. “So far, ten brigades have been formed. We are now on the final one, and the process will be completed this year. All forces will be unified,” he emphasized.
The sides discussed “the political and security dynamics in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, as well as Erbil-Baghdad relations. Discussions also covered progress on Peshmerga reform and unification efforts, and the ongoing threat of terrorism and ISIS activity in Iraq and Syria,” the statement from the Kurdistan Region Presidency said on Monday.
President Barzani and Major General Leahy also discussed the ongoing threat of ISIS in Iraq and Syria and emphasized “the need for continued coordination and cooperation among the Iraqi army, the Peshmerga, and international coalition forces.”
The meeting also touched on “the situation in Syria, focusing on the Kurds and local communities, recent developments in the region, and their implications for Iraq and the Kurdistan Region,” the statement concluded, highlighting “the importance of maintaining peace and stability in the Middle East.”
