VIDEO: Baghdad needs Peshmerga, but refuses direct US arms
The impending battle for Mosul has pushed Baghdad closer to the Peshmerga, but the central government is still refusing the direct arming of the Peshmerga by the US as outlined in a draft bill now before the US Congress.
The disagreement has been amplified by Baghdad's alleged inability to supply the Peshmerga with its share of the national budget and repeated delays in weapons delivery.
Even so, Erbil and Baghdad have struck a deal to form a joint operations center to retake control of Mosul, but it is not clear yet who would command the room or where the headquarters will be.
"We, altogether, can achieve victory in the battle because we have a common enemy and they want to target all of us," Mohammed Salim al-Ghaban, Iraq's Interior Minister, told Rudaw.
Therefore, we should all take part in this battle."
Still, experts say there is much to be decided before the campaign to liberate Mosul begins.
The disagreement has been amplified by Baghdad's alleged inability to supply the Peshmerga with its share of the national budget and repeated delays in weapons delivery.
Even so, Erbil and Baghdad have struck a deal to form a joint operations center to retake control of Mosul, but it is not clear yet who would command the room or where the headquarters will be.
"We, altogether, can achieve victory in the battle because we have a common enemy and they want to target all of us," Mohammed Salim al-Ghaban, Iraq's Interior Minister, told Rudaw.
Therefore, we should all take part in this battle."
Still, experts say there is much to be decided before the campaign to liberate Mosul begins.