US $900m to Peshmerga, troops and Apache to Iraqi army

[Anthea]

US commits $415m to Peshmerga, troops and Apache to Iraqi army

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region—The US Defense Secretary has announced that they are going to allot $415 million to the Kurdish Peshmerga forces and are committing an additional more than 200 troops to the fight against the Islamic State (ISIS) in Iraq.

US Defense Secretary Ash Carter was in Baghdad on Monday to finalize the agreement with Iraqi army officials.

The additional troops will be mainly Special Forces, deployed primarily in a training role with the Iraqi forces at the frontlines.

Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook stated on Twitter that the $415 million commitment to the Peshmerga is to "accelerate momentum in c-ISIL."

The US has also committed Apache helicopters to aid in the battle to retake Mosul. To date, Apache helicopters have only been used in Iraq to protect American personnel.

The new commitment of troops will bring the number of American forces in Iraq to 4,087, up from 3,870.

http://rudaw.net/english/middleeast/iraq/180420164

[Anthea]

Peshmerga salaries to be paid from US $415m financial assistance

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region—The US Defense Secretary has announced that the US is going to allot $415 million to the Kurdish Peshmerga forces and are committing an additional over 200 troops to the fight against the Islamic State (ISIS) in Iraq.

US Defense Secretary Ash Carter was in Baghdad on Monday to finalize the agreement.

The $415 million allocated to the Peshmerga will be paid over several months to "pay the Peshmergas’ salaries and other necessities," Jabar Yawar, Chief of Staff of the Peshmerga Ministry, confirmed to Rudaw.

The financial commitment comes just days after Qubad Talabani, Deputy Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Region (KRG), appealed for monetary support in Washington. “We have absolutely no problems with any conditions that [would] be placed on financial assistance given to us,” he said while speaking to the Foundation for the Defense of Democracy think-tank, adding that the region needs $100 million per month to fund the fight against ISIS.

“In response to a request from the Kurdistan Regional Government for economic assistance, the Department of Defense will provide these funds on a monthly basis to support selected Peshmerga units,” Matthew R. Allen, a spokesman for the US Department of Defense (DoD) told Rudaw. “These forces have been among the most effective in the fight against ISIL and will be critical in the retaking of Mosul.”

“These funds will be provided by, with, and through the Government of Iraq, and will be drawn from DoD funds already appropriated,” he explained. “They will help the KRG overcome severe impacts from its internal budget crisis through directed assistance to Peshmerga units involved in the counter-ISIL fight – helping cover stipends and other key Peshmerga needs.”

Yawar stated that the financial support is the result of high level discussions between the KRG and US officials, noting that the US has been a staunch ally, “America has already armed two Peshmerga brigades.”

KRG officials took to Twitter to express their gratitude for the support.

Lahur Talabani, Director of the KRG’s intelligence agency, tweeted, “We thank the U.S. government for their commitment & support to our brave peshmerga forces who have been fighting ISIS on the world’s behalf.”

Masrour Barzani, Chancellor of the KRG Security Council also tweeted his appreciation and expressed hope for additional international support: “This war is a shared responsibility, and I hope other members of the Global Coalition will consider increasing their aid to Kurdistan.”

The Peshmerga have not been paid their salaries for the past three months.

The additional US troops committed today will be mainly Special Forces, embedded with the Iraqi forces to advise and assist and will bring the Americans closer to the frontlines than they have been to date.

The US has also committed Apache helicopters to aid in the battle to retake Mosul. So far, Apache helicopters have only been used in Iraq to protect American personnel.

The new commitment of troops will bring the number of American forces in Iraq to 4,087, up from 3,870.

http://rudaw.net/english/kurdistan/180420166

[Anthea]

Kurdish leaders thank United States for $415m aid to Peshmerga forces
Reporting by: Wladimir van Wilgenburg

DUHOK – The United States has decided to provide $415m aid to Iraqi Kurdish forces, the US Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter announced on Monday. Kurdish leaders praised the decision by the US government, after asking for additional US aid for several months.

The support comes after a senior delegation from the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) spent a week in Washington meeting with key Administration officials, Members of Congress, the U.S. business community and several non-governmental organizations.

The lack of salaries was leading to small-scale desertions of one percent, the Interior Minister Karim Sinjari said in Washington last week, warning that this could increase if no foreign aid would back the Peshmerga forces that have been fighting for months without any money. This was also affecting the training of Peshmerga forces.

“The financial situation is not so good as it should be, but we can’t do anything about that,” a US-led coalition source told ARA News last month.

“We know from the Peshmerga forces they haven’t received their salaries for 4 to 5 months. They have families that need to eat and go to school, but the paying of salaries is up to the Ministry of Peshmerga,” the official said.

Previously coalition troops lost several days of training, after their translators went on strike for not receiving their salaries.

The Iraqi central government in Baghdad and the Kurdish government in Erbil are facing an economic crisis due to the low oil prices, the war, and the huge number of internally displaced persons (IDPs).

Therefore, Kurdish officials were relieved that the Peshmerga forces now received financial aid.

Masrour Barzani, Chancellor of the Kurdistan Region Security Council praised the decision. “I welcome the announcement by Secretary Ashton Carter to give financial aid to our Peshmerga and increase military engagement in war on ISIS,” he wrote on his twitter account.

“This war is a shared responsibility, and I hope other members of the Global Coalition will consider increasing their aid to Kurdistan,” he added.

Speaking to ARA News, Sirwan Barzani, frontline sector commander for Makhmour and Gwer, said that there are at least 2 million IDPs hosted by the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), while Baghdad did not provide any financial support for the KRG, nor paying the Peshmerga forces.

“Forget about the military situation; after the Mosul operation, there will be even more people coming, thousands of them,” he warned about the future influx of IDPs to Kurdistan.

“We are on the frontline, and everybody is praising the Peshmerga forces, but we did not even receive expenses for one year. Moreover, Peshmerga’s did not receive a salary for at least three months,” Barzani told ARA News.

Also, Lahur Talabani, head of Iraqi Kurdistan’s Zaniyari intelligence service and a founding member of the Counter-Terrorism Group, welcomed the decision. “We thank the U.S. government for their commitment and support to our brave peshmerga forces who have been fighting ISIS on world’s behalf,” he said on twitter.

“U.S. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter’s announcement of further aid to the Peshmerga comes at a great time as the KRG faces financial difficulties,” he wrote.

Peshmerga forces and foreign volunteers on the ground also welcomed the decision by the coalition to finally provide support.

“This is about time. Honestly, that money should go to paying all Peshmergas up to date and then the rest should go to the wounded and families who lost soldiers,” Ryan D OLeary, a foreign volunteer with Peshmerga forces on the Naweran frontline told ARA News.

http://aranews.net/2016/04/kurdish-lead ... ga-forces/

[Anthea]

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region—The United States has committed $900 million in financial and material aid to the Kurdish Peshmerga, according to a US official.

Speaking to Rudaw an official source from the United States, who wished to remain anonymous, said that the US wants to empower the frontlines in the war with the Islamic State (ISIS). $415 million has been committed for the Peshmerga forces participating in the Mosul operation.

Two new Peshmerga brigades will be formed, according to the source, each numbering 2100 people, with $180 million to $200 million allocated for their creation.

In addition, “$22.5 million of the US aid will be appointed to train and provide Peshmerga with military equipment,” the source said.

Further funds will be dedicated to operations of special forces, and logistical support including fuel and medical supplies.

“The amount of the aid and how it will be distributed was discussed on March 16, 2016 with Kurdish President Masoud Barzani,” said the source. The first funds are expected to be delivered by the end of April.

http://rudaw.net/english/kurdistan/190420165