Today at the Pentagon, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III welcomed Iraqi Prime Minister Mohamed Shia al-Sudani during his first visit to Washington, D.C. as Prime Minister. The Secretary and the Prime Minister affirmed the two nations' commitment to an enduring U.S.-Iraq bilateral defense relationship and to a strong Iraq, capable of self-defense in support of a more stable and peaceful region. The Prime Minister of the Republic of Iraq and the Secretary of Defense discussed ongoing U.S.-Iraqi security cooperation, joint efforts to address persistent security threats to the United States and Iraq, and the future of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS mission in Iraq.
The visit occurred one week after the Principals Meeting on April 8 of the U.S.-Iraq Higher Military Commission (HMC), a professional military-to-military dialogue between Iraqi and U.S. military leaders and professionals to determine how and when to end the international coalition and how the D-ISIS Coalition will evolve based on the level of threat from ISIS, the Iraqi Security Forces' (ISF) capabilities, and other operational and environmental factors.
Secretary Austin thanked Prime Minister Sudani for Iraq's role in supporting operations by the Global Coalition to ensure ISIS can never reconstitute in Iraq and Syria. The Secretary paid tribute to the immense sacrifices of the Iraqi people and security forces in the fight to liberate millions from ISIS's genocidal and barbaric rule.
ISIS threatens international security, and Iraq, as a well-positioned and equipped partner, represents a linchpin in the campaign to defeat ISIS by hosting Coalition forces. The Secretary also noted Iraq's leadership in repatriating more than 4,100 Iraqi nationals from displacement camps and detention facilities in northeastern Syria last year. Prime Minister Sudani affirmed the importance of accelerating such repatriations of Iraqi nationals and facilitating their safe reintegration or, if needed, to hold them accountable for crimes they may have committed through appropriate judicial processes.
Addressing the strategic nature of the U.S.-Iraq bilateral defense relationship and Iraq's role as leader in ensuring regional security, the Secretary and Prime Minister discussed efforts to modernize the ISF, including Kurdish Peshmerga forces, and build their capabilities. Iraq's partnership with the United States features Foreign Military Sales (FMS) and a broad range of train and equip activities supporting the security forces funded with the Counter-ISIS Train and Equip Fund (CTEF). DoD also implements Foreign Military Financing (FMF)-funded defense articles and services and International Military Education and Training (IMET)-professional military education courses on behalf of the Department of State.
The Prime Minister of the Republic of Iraq and the Secretary of Defense hailed the signing of a joint work protocol recognizing the intended FMS purchase by Iraq worth nearly $550M using the new Credit Assured Payment Schedule (CAPS) flexible payment mechanism. Iraq will be the first nation to use the CAPS financing opportunity, for which terms of sale allow Iraq to make payments towards the FMS case over time rather than all up front — a sign of the strength of our partnership now and into the future. The Secretary and Prime Minister also highlighted ongoing efforts between the Department of Defense and Ministry of Defense to secure key sites across Iraq, including the Iraqi Kurdistan Region, from aerial threats.
The Prime Minister of the Republic of Iraq and the Secretary of Defense look forward to Iraq and the United States convening strategic discussions on the future of the U.S.-Iraq security relationship — pursuant to the 2008 U.S.-Iraqi Strategic Framework Agreement — at the second Joint Security Cooperation Dialogue later this year. Both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to an orderly transition to enduring bilateral security partnerships between Iraq and the United States and other countries of the Coalition in accordance with the Iraqi constitution and the strategic framework agreement.
