For years, pundits and policymakers in Washington criticized the Kurds for their political divisions, particularly the long-standing division of the Peshmerga forces. Kurdish leaders were repeatedly told that a unified military structure was essential for building stronger institutions, strengthening the Kurdistan Region, and deepening the security partnership with the United States.
Some of that criticism raised legitimate concerns. But it often came with a remarkable lack of self-reflection.
While Washington lectured the Kurds about political division, the American political system itself became increasingly consumed by bitter partisan conflict. The confrontation between Democrats and Republicans has extended into almost every major political issue. The American media environment has similarly become intensely polarized, particularly in its relentless, unfair, highly partisan, negative coverage of President Donald Trump. Much of what once distinguished investigative journalism and straightforward news reporting has increasingly been overshadowed by partisan political commentary.
At times, watching American legacy media gives the impression that virtually every development must somehow be interpreted through the prism of Trump. Yet many of the same Washington voices that operate within this deeply divided political environment have spent years criticizing the Kurds for failing to overcome their own political differences.
Today, they should take note.
The successful unification and reorganization of the Peshmerga forces represents a historic achievement for Kurdistan. It demonstrates that Kurdish leaders can overcome long-standing political differences when the security, stability, and future of Kurdistan are at stake.
Congratulations to the prime minister on successfully completing this historical step toward unifying and reorganizing the Peshmerga forces.
This is not simply an administrative or military restructuring. It represents an important step in the institutional development of the Kurdistan Region.
The Peshmerga are not merely another military force. They embody the sacrifice, resilience, and identity of the Kurdish people. Generations of Peshmerga fought under extraordinarily difficult circumstances to defend Kurdistan and its people. For decades, the Peshmerga stood with the United States and the international community against the oppressive regime of Saddam Hussein and made sacrifices that protected American soldiers and saved American lives. This historic partnership with the U.S. resulted in severe wrath from Saddam’s regime, which came at the price of genocidal campaigns and chemical weapons attacks that killed hundreds of thousands of Kurdish men, women, and children. More recently, they stood on the front lines against the Islamic State group, defending not only the Kurdistan Region but also contributing to the broader international campaign against terrorism.
Unification, however, should be viewed as the beginning rather than the end of the process.
The next phase must transform the unified Peshmerga into an increasingly modern and professional military force. That means continued training, institutional reform, modern command-and-control systems, advanced weapons, intelligence capabilities, logistics, and critically effective air defense systems capable of protecting Kurdistan’s population and critical infrastructure.
Washington should recognize the strategic significance of what has happened.
For years, the U.S. encouraged Peshmerga reform and unification. Now that this critical milestone has been reached, American policy should build upon it. The U.S. should continue developing the Peshmerga as a capable and professional security partner and deepen the long-term security relationship between the U.S. and the Kurdistan Region.
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A strong Peshmerga does not serve Kurdish interests alone. A professional and capable force can contribute to counterterrorism, regional security, protection of minorities, and stability in a region that continues to face threats from terrorism, militias, missiles, and drones.
A strong, unified, modernized, and well-armed Peshmerga means a stronger and more secure Kurdistan and can contribute to a more stable Iraq and the Middle East.
Entifadh Qanbar is a Middle East policy adviser in Washington, the former spokesman for the Deputy Prime Minister of Iraq, and a doctoral candidate at the Institute of World Politics in Washington, D.C.
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[ H/T Washington Examiner ]
