“Iraqi elections upcoming in May is actually a very exciting opportunity,” Brig. Gen. James F. Glynn said, explaining that Iraqi security forces, including local police, are doing what needs to be done now to ensure conditions are set for the May 12 elections.
Operations are proceeding on a daily basis so that security is “firmly in place” prior to elections, he said in answer to a question from Rudaw during a briefing with the Pentagon press corps.
Some Sunni politicians have called for elections to be postponed, arguing that some areas are too insecure to hold the vote. They also want to see the IDPs, largely Sunnis, able to return home before the country goes to the polls.
Iraq’s fragile security was exposed when a double suicide bombing killed at least 38 and injured more than 100 in Baghdad on Monday.
With the official defeat of the so-called caliphate of ISIS in Iraq, Glynn said the priority for Iraqis has shifted from clearing land to border security and local policing.
Explaining that coalition training efforts in those areas has already begun, Glynn said the goal is to prevent ISIS from reforming into an effective network.
He declined to describe the current state of ISIS as an insurgency, instead saying that remnants of the group still exist, but there is “no indicator of any coordination. It’s merely a matter of disparate, cellular structures… carrying out disruptive acts.”
The coalition is closely watching these remnants, including many in the Tuz Khurmatu and Hawija areas, to know what capabilities the militants are trying to sustain and where they are focusing their efforts.
Glynn expressed confidence in the abilities of the Iraqi forces, saying the coalition rarely accompanies the Iraqis on missions, but are more focused on areas like training and helping them exploit materials for intelligence after an operation.
