Washington is accelerating the pace of uniting the ranks of the Peshmerga in Iraqi Kurdistan

The unification of the Peshmerga is an urgent necessity in light of the challenges facing the region

The United States considers uniting the ranks of the Kurdish Peshmerga forces one of its most important priorities in the Kurdistan region of Iraq, and Washington realizes that the success of these efforts depends on the presence of political will from the two main parties, which does not seem available until now, given the ongoing differences between them.

Erbil (Iraq) - The United States is very active these days in the Kurdish arena in Iraq, given the growing challenges surrounding this region of geostrategic importance to Washington.

The United States has been making efforts in the recent period to overcome the differences between the two main parties in the region, in parallel with accelerating its plans to unify the ranks of the Peshmerga forces, as the delay in achieving this goal keeps the situation fragile within the autonomous region in northern Iraq since the nineties of the century. Past.

Observers believe that Washington's keenness to end the political crisis between the KDP and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan is due to Washington's realization that the continuation of differences between the two parties would hinder the ongoing reform process of the Peshmerga forces, especially the unification of Units 70 and 80, at a time when the region faces increasing dangers, whether In relation to the possibility of any deterioration between the two rival parties that may lead to armed confrontations, or in light of the Iranian threats that have recently escalated after a period of relative calm.

A report by "Voice of America" ​​stated that US military advisors and other members of the international coalition against ISIS are providing advice to the Kurdish forces in order to develop them and prepare them to face future dangers, noting that "important work" is taking place in order to unify their ranks.

The report pointed out that despite the effectiveness of the Peshmerga military units, they operate independently of each other, and the military advisors hope to change this situation.

The report quoted US Army Colonel Patrick Cogin as saying that the intention is to organize the work of between six and eight units and to make these units themselves report directly to the Ministry of Peshmerga.

Force 70 and Force 80 are the two most prominent military units in Iraqi Kurdistan, but they are linked to the two main parties in the region, as the first is linked to the National Union, and the second is linked to the Democratic Party, and the ongoing tension between the two parties has hampered efforts to unify them.

The commander of "Force 70," Mustafa Shoresh, said, "All the problems that stand in our way affect the Peshmerga, and step by step, we continue to implement the reforms requested by the international coalition, and we will implement them."

Noting that a group of military units had already been placed under the command of the Peshmerga Ministry, Shoresh said that "as long as there is ISIS and terrorists, there is a need to unify the forces, in what will be in the interest of all."

Despite the growing tension between the two parties, the Patriotic Union and the Kurdistan Democratic Party, the majority of the fighters recognize the importance of unifying the local military forces, and they consider the role of the military advisors at this stage vital.

Despite the growing tension between the two parties, the Patriotic Union and the Kurdistan Democratic Party, the majority of fighters recognize the importance of unifying the local military forces

The report quoted the commander of “Force 80,” Babiker Zebari, as saying, “The American coalition has a major role in this reform process, and they provide very useful assistance to us, whether it is financial or by providing weapons, or by advising the Peshmerga forces.”

However, the report indicated that the issue of uniting the Peshmerga forces ultimately depends on the political leaders to make it a reality.

Kurdish affairs analyst Hiwa Othman said in this regard, "The unification of the Peshmerga forces is not a technical issue, so that you bring military advisers to help in this unification, but rather it is a political decision, and this political decision requires that it be taken at the level of the Kurdistan Democratic Party and the Kurdistan National Party."

A meeting took place at the political bureau level between the National Union and the Democratic Party last Saturday, in a development accompanied by the US envoy for the Middle East and North Africa, Brett McGurk, who paid a visit to Erbil, the second within a week.

The delegations of the two parties agreed to hold more bilateral meetings, hoping to dismantle the differences that shake the relationship between the two parties, which center around governance in the region, and financial revenues from oil resources and border crossings.

On Wednesday, the US Consul General in Kurdistan, Irvin Hicks Jr., confirmed his country's welcome and support for resolving the differences between the two parties, the Democratic Party and the Patriotic Union.

This came in a statement issued by the Presidency of the Kurdistan Region after a meeting between the US Consul and the President of the region, Nechirvan Barzani.

The statement stated that "the two sides discussed during the meeting the recent political developments in the Kurdistan region, as well as meetings and meetings of the Kurdistan Democratic Party and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan."

The US consul expressed "his country's welcome and support for dialogue and efforts to resolve differences between the two sides," stressing that "the United States looks with interest at its relations with the region."

He pointed out that “the process of reform and reorganization of the Peshmerga constituted another focus of the meeting,” where Barzani stressed “the continuation of the process and the importance of its success,” thanking “the assistance and support of the United States in this context,” as “Irvin Hicks Jr. reviewed his country’s focus and interest in this process and its acceleration.” ".

The issue of accelerating efforts to unite the Peshmerga forces was already on the negotiating table between the US envoy McGurk and the head of the Democratic Party, Massoud Barzani, during the first visit that the US official made last month.