ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – The US Department of Defense has requested $522 million from the 2022 budget for the fight against the Islamic State (ISIS) in Iraq and Syria, the defense secretary said on Friday, with the funds to be spent on training and equipping local forces allied to the US in both countries.
According to details of the budget request published by the Pentagon, $522 million of the department's $715 billion budget will go to training and equipping Iraqi security forces, as well as “Vetted Syrian Groups and Individuals (VSGI)” - referring to the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in northeast Syria (Rojava) and the Maghawir al Thawra militia group near At Tanf garrison in southeast Syria.
The Kurdistan Region’s Peshmerga forces are considered part of the Iraqi forces, and have received US training and equipment. The US also pays the salaries of two Peshmerga brigades.
The Pentagon says it funds these forces in order to “build key security force capabilities and create conditions for long-term regional stability,” adding that the submitted budget request will strengthen the capabilities of these local forces “to secure liberated territory and counter ISIS threats.”
“The training, equipment, and operational support in this request will secure territory previously held by ISIS and prevent its reemergence. The $522 million request includes $345 million to assist the Iraqi Security Forces and $177 million to assist VSGI.”
The new fiscal year begins on October 1.
The Pentagon’s requested budget for 2022 is an increase of around $10 billion from 2021. However, the amount dedicated to the fight against ISIS has decreased by $188 million compared to the year before, despite warnings from commanders and politicians from both Syria and Iraq that ISIS still remains a threat in the region.
ISIS controlled swathes of Iraq and Syria in 2014 but it was territorially defeated in 2017 and 2019 respectively. However, the militants continue to carry out bombings, hit-and run attacks and abductions on both sides of the border, particularly in areas disputed by Erbil and Baghdad.
