Shafaq News- Erbil

Iraq should move from its relationship with the US-led Coalition to bilateral security partnerships, former Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani urged on Monday, arguing that the country no longer faces the threats that prompted international military intervention in 2014.

Speaking at the Middle East Research Institute (MERI) Forum during a session titled “Governing Iraq: Lessons on Power, Compromise and Statehood,” Al-Sudani, who heads the Reconstruction and Development Coalition (Al-Ima'ar wal-Tanmiya), recalled that the Coalition intervened at Baghdad’s request after ISIS seized large parts of the country. “Iraq in 2024 is not Iraq in 2014,” he remarked, questioning the need for a military presence involving 86 countries after the group’s defeat.

While acknowledging the Coalition’s role in defeating ISIS, he said transitioning to bilateral security ties “would mark an achievement” rather than a break with Iraq’s international partners.

Al-Sudani also dismissed concerns over a potential security vacuum, questioning how the departure of approximately 2,500 Coalition advisers and their equipment could undermine stability when Iraq has around one million personnel across its security institutions.

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He outlined procurement agreements to strengthen air defenses, including advanced radar systems capable of detecting aircraft at high and low altitudes, while stressing the importance of continued cooperation with the US and other partners on equipment, intelligence sharing, and training, particularly given Iraq’s reliance on US-made military hardware.

The former premier also cited a field visit to Wadi Horan in western Al-Anbar province as evidence of Iraqi forces’ ability to control territory and secure national borders.

On weapons outside state control, Al-Sudani said a timetable and disarmament process were already in place, insisting that security decisions remain solely with the government. He rejected turning Iraq into an arena for regional rivalries, saying that decisions on war and peace belong exclusively to constitutional authorities.

Formed in 2014 to combat ISIS, the US-led Coalition concluded its military mission in Iraq on Sept. 30, 2026, under an agreement announced by Baghdad and Washington in September 2024. Security cooperation is now shifting toward bilateral arrangements, including intelligence sharing, training, and arms cooperation.

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