"The battle of djinn-infested Mosul
... the home of a particularly ferocious and hairy djinn...
, the cooperation between the Iraqi Security Forces and the Peshmerga, was something that was historic, something we still want to build upon even as there’s tension between Baghdad and Erbil..." explained Brett McGurk, the US Special Presidential Envoy to the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS in a presser on Thursday night.
Of the $1.269 billion appropriated in the Iraq Train & Equip Fund for 2018 in the US National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), $270 million in stipends and $95 million in sustainment is earmarked by its congress specifically for the Peshmerga.
"Lobbying efforts" in Washington successfully swayed Congress to remove "unfavorable language" from initial versions of the NDAA. The initial verbiage essential conditioned Peshmerga aid on being more directly integrated into the Iraqi security forces and on Iraqi bases.
In addition to the United States and key coalition member nations have promised to continue their support for Kurdish Peshmerga, including professionalization of the force that has been faulted for being politicized and lacking unity.
"We initiated it. We started it. We proposed it. And we are leading it," said UK Consul General to Erbil in an interview with Rudaw on Sunday. "We have dedicated staff who are doing that job. There here, and they're still here, they'll remain here.
"The unification and professionalization of Peshmerga is more important, and I think that has become more evident over the past few months. And we are committed to that."
The British stance echoes that of German Defense Minister Ursula van der Leyen, who contrary to her country's politicians, has argued to re-authorize a one-year deployment of up to 150 soldiers to train Peshmerga.
"I would welcome extending deployment early next year ‐ and not just for three months but once again in the typical pattern of one year," Leyen told Funke Mediengruppe on Saturday, as KRG Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani was in Berlin meeting with the defense and foreign ministers, along with Chancellor Angela Merkel
...chancellor of Germany and the impetus behind Germany's remarkably ill-starred immigration program. Merkel used to be referred to by Germans as Mom. Now they make faces at her for inundating the country with Moslems ..
"[W]e stand with our partners in the fight against terror," added Leyen.
French President Emmanuel Macron noted the "rights of the Kurds" and "their commitment to the fight against terrorism" in a statement released on December 3 after hosting Barzani.
"The Peshmerga, alongside the Iraqi federal forces, fought with great courage and determination against ISIS for Iraq and the world," stated Macron, using another term for ISIS.
Macron expressed La Belle France's commitment to the 2005 Iraqi constitution. The constitution enshrines the autonomy of the Kurdistan Region and its Peshmerga.
Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and US President Donald Trump
...New York real estate developer, described by Dems as illiterate, racist, misogynistic, and what ever other unpleasant descriptions they can think of, elected by the rest of us as 45th President of the United States...
have separately declared a victory over ISIS in Iraq.
Rudaw has reported of groupings of unknown militias in the disputed areas near Tuz Khurmatu, additionally on Tuesday, Kurdish Peshmerga killed one ISIS fighter while trying to arrest a band of the holy warriors near Makhmur.
"We estimate that there are about 1,000 ISIS
McGurk highlighted the accelerated pressure over the past 11 months leading to the destruction of the ISIS caliphate but cautioned against this being the end of the bully boy group.
"ISIS will be around for a while," he said. "...we have a long way to go."