First Military Agreement Between the United States and the Kurdistan Region

In an important event, for the first time on July 12, 2016, a military cooperation agreement was signed between the United States and the Kurdistan Regional Government. From the U.S. side, Elyse Slotkin, Deputy Secretary of Defense, and from the Kurdistan Regional Government, Karim Sinjari, Minister of Interior, signed this agreement in the presence of Masoud Barzani, President of the Kurdistan Region. According to this agreement, the U.S. commits to providing $450 million to the Peshmerga forces to fight against ISIS. A significant portion of this financial aid is aimed at rehabilitating the Kurdistan Regional Government in paying the salaries of Peshmerga military forces. Additionally, under this agreement, the Kurdistan Region commits to increasing its forces on the front lines against ISIS. Following the signing of this contract, Barzani expressed his gratitude to the U.S. for the overthrow of Saddam's oppressive regime and for the continuous military and financial support for the region and the Peshmerga, considering it a "crucial factor in the victory over terrorist forces." He also described the cooperation and coordination between the U.S. and the Peshmerga as "ideal." The American official also regarded the signing of this agreement as evidence of the strong relations between the U.S. and the Peshmerga forces. An agreement against ISIS or Baghdad? The provisions of the agreement suggest that this agreement is for U.S. financial and logistical assistance to the Peshmerga forces to facilitate the operation to liberate Nineveh province, centered in Mosul, which is under ISIS control. Despite this goal, the absence of any central government officials at the signing ceremony raised questions about whether this agreement was signed with Baghdad's knowledge or without it. In the latter case, this action is seen as bypassing the central government. Ibrahim al-Jaafari, Iraq's Foreign Minister, expressed dissatisfaction with this action in an interview with Al-Hurra network, stating that this action was taken without the knowledge and awareness of the central government. He considered the signing of this agreement a violation of Iraq's national sovereignty. From the perspective of the central government, this agreement is seen not only as strengthening the military capacity of the Kurdistan Region against ISIS but also against the central government, as Baghdad believes this action will accelerate the separation and independence of Kurdistan, which Barzani has openly spoken about. Following the dispute between the region and the central government, Baghdad had cut a significant portion of the region's share of the national budget. Meanwhile, Hamed Sabah, the spokesperson for the Kurdistan government, stated that it took about two years to reach this agreement and that no military bases would be established in the Kurdistan Region by the U.S. or other coalition member countries. However, on the other hand, the Afaq website quoted Rinas Jano Muhammad, a member of the Kurdistan Democratic Party, stating that according to the provisions of this agreement, the U.S. is set to establish five military bases in Halabja, Atrush, Erbil, Duhok, and Sinjar for the training of Peshmerga forces. He also announced other provisions of the agreement, including securing the rights of Peshmerga for ten years and equipping them with advanced weapons. Conclusion: The signed agreement between the U.S. and the Kurdistan government is significant for three reasons: First, this is the first agreement between the U.S. and the Kurdistan Regional Government. Until now, no contracts had been signed between the two parties. The signing of this agreement with the Kurdistan government and not through the central government increases the political weight of the Kurdistan Region. This perception raises concerns among those who believe this action will accelerate the independence of the Kurdistan Region from Iraq, which Barzani has repeatedly spoken about openly. Second, no central government officials were present at this ceremony, but contrary to the statements of the Iraqi Foreign Minister, Stuart Jones, the U.S. ambassador in Baghdad, clarified that the agreement with the Kurdistan government was reached with the knowledge and awareness of the central government. In images broadcast from this ceremony, the flag of the Iraqi government can be seen. Third, the importance of this agreement is that it is a military cooperation agreement between the U.S. and the Kurdistan government. For example, if this first agreement were for scientific and academic cooperation, it would not have been so sensitive, especially if the U.S. were to establish military bases in the region. What is undeniable is that as time goes on, the ties between the Kurdistan Region and the central government of Iraq are weakening, and conversely, the process of independence that Masoud Barzani promised is accelerating.