“Peshmerga forces have made great strides in embracing change. As force reforms continue, they will face bigger challenges creating new formations to modernize their force,” Vowell said.
The Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve (CJTF-OIR) commander said in an interview with Rudaw on Saturday, acknowledging that various political parties’ involvement and their different focuses in the reform process present complexities.
“Kurdistan has a long history of managing its security forces differently than many Western countries, so one should expect that changing norms and culture would take time,” Vowell said.
Kurdistan’s Peshmerga began as revolutionaries fighting successive Iraqi rulers for greater Kurdish rights and independence. Winning some political autonomy in the 1990s and after 2003, the forces have remained cornerstones of the political parties that left their rebel camps in the mountains and entered the halls of governance.
The majority of the Peshmerga forces, numbering over 100,000 troops, are made up of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan’s (PUK) Unit 70 and the Kurdistan Democratic Party’s (KDP) Unit 80.
For a decade, the United States and international partners have worked with Kurdish authorities to unify the Peshmerga forces, bringing troops loyal to the rival KDP and PUK under the umbrella of the Ministry of Peshmerga to operate as a modern army.
Progress, however, has been slow. Michael Knights, a Senior Fellow at The Washington Institute, specializing in the military and security affairs of Iraq, Iran and the Gulf states, reiterated the point that both sides may want to keep their separate Peshmerga units unless a stable political alliance is re-established between the KDP and PUK.
Both parties have had on-and-off alliances. A major breakdown of the alliance came after the retake of Kirkuk by the Iraqi army and the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), or Hashd al-Shaabi, following the Kurdish referendum in 2017.
“I think the Kirkuk crisis of 2017 is still the cause of much mistrust,” Knights told Rudaw English, “In late 2017, when Regional Guard Brigade units were defending Suhela from Iraqi army forces up on the Syria-Kurdistan border, these unified brigades split back into their KDP and PUK components. The Kurdistan Region has never really recovered from the breakdown in intra-Kurdish power-sharing from 2013-2017.”
At the time, the US-led coalition was supporting Iraqi and Kurdish forces as they expelled ISIS remnants across Iraq. The United States largely tried to de-conflict the Iraqi-Kurdish skirmishes during the skirmishes for Kirkuk in Oct. 2017.
Moving forward, Washington seems determined to support Kurdish forces’ professionalization efforts in the face of Iraq’s ever-changing security developments.
“The US government has an agreement to support the Peshmerga unification mission until 2026. We are making headway, though currently a bit behind schedule. Achieving the target will require discipline and initiative, but it is attainable. I am impressed with the progress thus far, and with strong will and determination, we can accomplish this important mission,” said Vowell.
In late 2022, Minister of Peshmerga Affairs Shoresh Ismail resigned, unhappy with political interference in his ministry. The Council of Ministers did not accept his resignation and he returned to his post in November 2023 after a year-long absence, citing political and military instability as the reason for his return.
Despite the challenges the unification process has faced, Vowell remains optimistic, stating that “the dedication of all parties involved gives us hope that the Peshmerga will soon be a more cohesive and effective force, contributing to greater stability and security in the region.”
“A cohesive Peshmerga can better combat threats like Da'esh [ISIS], reduce internal conflicts, and implement a coordinated defense strategy. A unified command also enhances operational efficiency and strengthens partnerships with international allies,” he added.
The latest report of the lead inspector general of the global coalition, which covers the first quarter of 2024, said that Kurdish security forces have taken “significant steps towards reforms goals.”
Officials from the Kurdistan Region and the US-led coalition against ISIS met in Erbil in April to discuss unification of the Peshmerga. A statement from the Kurdistan Region’s presidency at the time said the coalition “reiterated the necessity and importance of the continuation and the success of the process.”
The American commander echoed the importance of continued support for the Kurdish force.
“The US strongly supports the unification of the Peshmerga because a unified and professional force is more effective in ensuring improved security and regional stability,” Vowell said. “By fostering a unified force, alongside our Kurdish partners, we are contributing to the overall security and stability of this region, benefiting all parties involved.”
Vowell also was asked about Iraqi objections to the United States supplying the Peshmerga with weaponry.
In June, 2024 Babakir Zebari, a military advisor to the Kurdistan Region presidency, told Rudaw that the Iraqi government does not allow the global coalition to provide the Peshmerga with drones and other weapons to defend themselves from attacks.
"They have not provided Peshmerga with any weapons that would make them happy. They say Iraq prevents it and that this is not possible without the permission of Iraq," Zebari said.
Vowell was asked whether Iraq had blocked coalition aid to the Peshmerga.
“We respect and support a unified and secure Iraq. To this end, we work with the leadership in Erbil and Baghdad to ensure the defeat of Da'esh,” he said. “Iraq is a sovereign nation, and its leaders determine how best to resource its forces. We work within those parameters to support our shared goals of stability and security in the region.”
