ERBIL AIR BASE, Iraq –
The Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve facilitated a meeting between leaders from the Iraqi Security Forces and the Kurdish Security Forces to discuss increased cooperation in their fight against Da’esh in Erbil, on Aug 12, 2021.
Staff Lt. Gen. Jamal Mohamed Aymanki, Military of Peshmerga Chief of Staff, met with Staff Gen. AbdulAmir Alshimmari, Deputy Commander of the Joint Operations Command for Iraq, to discuss how their forces should cooperate to prevent the resurgence of Da’esh.
Both parties requested to meet as a way to join forces in continuing their efforts in defeating Da’esh through the establishment of joint brigades. CJTF-OIR’s Military Advisor Group provided a secure location for the two to share ideas and discuss the challenges of securing disputed regions of the Kurdish Coordination Line.
"We are more than happy playing a small part in getting these senior leaders who are going to drive this initiative forward into one room," said Brig. Gen. Fogarty, Military Advisor Group Director. "The discussions regarding the Joint Brigades is an initiative that has been worked on for some time in light of some of the recent activity and attacks around the Kurdistan Coordination Line. Both sides saw it as very important to sit down and try to work through some of the issues they have agreed on previously."
While coalition and partner forces defeated Da’esh, this co-operation will reduce the threat of resurgence. Da’esh primarily infiltrates from the mountainous region along the Kurdistan Coordination Line; an area that historically has been difficult to secure. The coalition enabled meeting allowed for Iraqi and Kurdish partners to plan and discuss long-lasting measures to degrade Da’esh’s movement in this disputed area.
"The meeting was extremely productive," said Fogarty. "What was discussed in the room was how to strengthen the newly formed Joint Coordination Centers, information sharing and better coordination of security effects on both sides of the KCL. Both sides are now considering what was discussed and will come back together later to look what the future of those brigades are."
Assisting in continuous improvements such as planning meetings and partnership building is central to CJTF-OIR’s mission. "It was great to see the key leaders from the ISF and the KSF come together under the spirit of collaboration and discussing these issues which are all about having a more coordinated and a more robust response to defeat Da'esh," said Fogarty. "The outcomes in the room and the discussions were aligned with that joint goal of trying to maintain the continued defeat of Da'esh and to provide better security for the people of the Kurdish Region of Iraq and of federal Iraq."
The name of Staff Gen. AbdulAmir Alshimmari, Deputy Commander of the Joint Operations Command for Iraq, was incorrectly given as Abdul America Al-Shammari, in an August 12 release Partner forces discuss joint brigades, safeguarding Iraq & Kurdistan.