President Barzani discusses Peshmerga reforms with top Coalition Generals
Shafaq News/ Nechirvan Barzani, President of the Kurdistan Region, on Sunday convened a meeting with a military delegation from the anti-ISiS "Global Coalition" in Iraq and Syria.
Heading the visiting delegation was General Matthew McFarlane, the former commander of the coalition forces, accompanied by his successor, General Joel Fawell.
According to a press release from the Kurdistan presidency, Barzani expressed profound gratitude to General McFarlane for his service in command of the Coalition forces. The president praised McFarlane's cooperation and unwavering support to Iraq and the Kurdistan region in their efforts to quell terrorism and decimate ISIS.
Barzani heralded the incoming command of General Fawell, expressing the region's continuous commitment to bolster collaborative endeavors and fortify the coalition's overarching mission to obliterate ISIS once and for all.
The statement said the meeting discussed the reform efforts at the Peshmerga ministry and the challenges hindering their progress. Barzani and his guests expressed palpable apprehensions over potential impediments hindering these transformations.
The meeting also touched on the ongoing war against ISIS in Iraq and Syria, the coalition's role in it, and a spectrum of issues of mutual interest.
In November 2018, a triad—comprising the United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany— architected a 35-point blueprint to overhaul the Peshmerga ministry. This vision sought to amalgamate forces affiliated with the two dominant Kurdish parties, the Kurdistan Democratic Party and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, under a unified leadership.
Supported by the international coalition, the Peshmerga forces have been at the forefront, combatting ISIS's extremist factions for years. The Peshmerga has been undergoing training modules curated by the Coalition's advisers, primarily steered by Washington since 2014.
