ERBIL, Kurdistan Region —Peshmerga forces must be free of political influence and remain neutral during party disputes, President Nechirvan Barzani told newly-graduated officers on Tuesday.
“[The] Kurdistan Region needs an armed national force which has modern discipline and principles,” said Barzani during the graduation ceremony of 233 officers at Zakho’s military college in Duhok province.
Barzani, who is the commander-in-chief of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq’s (KRI) armed forces called for “a force that is united and has a national thinking as well as being above all political, partisan, ethnic, religious and sectarian purposes. A force based on humanitarian and international deals related to war. A force that defends the country and its achievements,” .
The Peshmerga is the main force protecting the Kurdistan Region from external threats. Control of Peshmerga forces is divided between both ruling parties of the KRI: The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK).
Mixed brigades were a success during fight against the Islamic State (ISIS) until the Iraqi Army and the Iranian-backed Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF, known in Arabic as Hashd al-Shaabi) attacked Peshmerga forces in Kirkuk and other disputed areas between Erbil and Baghdad in mid-October 2017.
The offensive dismantled the previously-mixed units among Peshmerga forces after some PUK forces were accused by the KDP of treason. This Peshmerga withdrawal from disputed areas led to the loss of more than half of the territory Peshmerga controlled before the Iraqi offensive.
Barzani, who is also vice president of the KDP, emphasized that the Peshmerga should not be involved in political rivalry between parties.
“It should not be the force of [political] parties and groups. It should stay away from internal disagreements and rivalry. Kurdistan’s Peshmerga forces should never be for political intentions and determination of political issues,” he said.
Zakho’s military college was founded by the KDP in 1996 but wasn’t incorporated into Iraqi’s defense ministry until 2003. Approximately 7,000 officers have graduated from the academy, which involves nine months of training.
The PUK also has a similar military college in Sulaimani province’s Qala Cholan.
Unification of Peshmerga forces have been one of the key topics discussed between foreign military delegations and KRG officials in recent years.
Despite numerous calls for reform from Barzani and other KRG officials and commanders, no concrete steps seem to have been taken yet.
Masoud Salih is a military analyst and senior commander who attended Tuesday’s ceremony. He welcomed Barzani’s speech.
“He showed a strong determination to make reforms within the Peshmerga because he knows that we really need to organize Peshmerga and be provided with the best training,” he told Rudaw TV.
He said that there are some basics for Peshmerga to be organized as per international standards such as a united military creed, receiving various training, familiarization with modern technology, following military discipline, good supply of weapons and the implementation of military law and courts.
Col. Myles B Caggins III, official military spokesperson for Operation Inherent Resolve, the military coalition to fight ISIS told Rudaw that the coalition hopes that current reforms will create a more united Peshmerga force.
"We know that the Peshmerga forces are going through a series of reforms, 38 reforms. These reforms are important to have the strongest, most effective, most united Peshmerga force as possible,” he told Rudaw on Tuesday.
