ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Admiral Brad Cooper, the US Central Command’s (CENTCOM) new commander, emphasized Washington-Erbil ties and the importance of his country’s continued support for the Kurdistan Region during his recent talks with Kurdish leaders. He also labeled the Region as a key American partner in the Middle East, CENTCOM said on Thursday.
The American commander on Tuesday held meetings with Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani and Prime Minister Masrour Barzani in Erbil.
He “discussed regional security developments, the fight against ISIS [Islamic State], and reaffirmed the importance of US support for the Peshmerga forces” during the meetings with both Kurdish leaders, said CENTCOM, which oversees US troops in the Middle East, in a statement.
“Adm. Cooper highlighted the Kurdistan Region's role saying, ‘They are a key ally and partner of the U.S. in this region and we remain committed to supporting the security and stability of our allies here.’”
The CENTCOM chief’s support for the Kurdistan Region and Peshmerga was also mentioned in statements by the Kurdish president and prime minister.
The meetings come with US forces bracing to depart Baghdad for Erbil by the end of September in accordance with the 2021 US-Iraq agreement. The withdrawal from the federal areas to the Kurdish capital has reportedly began.
Peshmerga forces have played a key role in the fight against ISIS in the last decade. A US-led global coalition has provided training to the Kurdish force and Washington has continued to provide financial support to dozens of thousands of members of the de facto Kurdish army.
ISIS seized control of swathes of Iraqi territory in a brazen offensive in 2014, but it was declared territorially defeated in 2017 when its so-called caliphate fell to Iraqi and Kurdish fighters, supported by the US-led international coalition, who clawed back lands from the jihadists.
