According to reports by the BBC on August 28th, four people familiar with the matter revealed that the Trump administration plans to cut military aid to the semi-autonomous Kurdistan Region of Iraq. The KRG is considered an important ally of the United States in the Middle East. It helped the US defeat the Islamic State, but now faces severe pressure from Iran.
According to reports, during several recent meetings, the U.S. Department of Defense told KRG leaders that the United States does not intend to renew an agreement that is about to expire. This agreement provides security assistance to the Kurdish security forces, the Peshmerga.
K R G officials worry that cutting funds will cause a power vacuum and further empower Iran.
Analysts say that ending security assistance to the Kurdish armed forces will weaken America’s long-term partners in Iraq, and send a signal that the United States is not trustworthy and will not support its allies in the region.
“This action by the United States will sever the Kurdish people’s ties with the outside world, and the Kurds have poured too much blood in order to help Americans achieve their goals in Iraq and wider Middle East.” said Eriwein Seyyed, director of the Global Kurd Peace Initiative at American Universities.
He then forcefully linked China and Russia together, saying, “If the Kurds are isolated and without support, this would be a huge victory for Iran, China, and Russia.”
BBC
Kurdish people are a minority ethnic group spread across the Middle East. They share a common language and culture, and are mainly located in Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey.
For a long time, the United States has also been involved in supporting the Kurdish resistance organization in the Middle East.
In Iraq, Kurdish nationalist groups collaborated with the United States during the Gulf War in 1991, achieving some success. The United States helped establish semi-autonomous Kurdish regions in Iraq. After the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003, the CIA also trained and armed a military force known as the Peshmerga. In 2005, the Iraqi constitution officially recognized these semi-autonomous regions.
Trump promised during his second term to reduce the United States' involvement in overseas affairs, particularly in the Middle East. He also launched a war with Iran, which has lasted for six months and currently shows no signs of ending.
The BBC mentioned that the agreement between the Pentagon and the KRG will expire on September 30th. On the same day, the United States and other countries will also withdraw their remaining troops from Iraq.
This withdrawal will officially end international military operations by the United States and other countries against ISIS. During these operations, the Kurdish armed group Peshmerga fought alongside the coalition forces, ultimately ending ISIS’ control over parts of Iraq and Syria.
Recently, Iran has increased its attacks on the KRG. However, according to reports, the Pentagon still indicates that the United States does not plan to extend the aid agreement.
A Pentagon spokesman responded by saying, “Currently, Iraqi security forces, including Kurdish armed forces and other security forces in the Iraqi Kurdistan region, will lead the counter-terrorism efforts in Iraq.” A US State Department spokesman stated that the focus of the State Department is on implementing the troop withdrawal plan.
