The defeat of the Islamic State depends on removing the causes of its emergence

Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani said on Thursday that the defeat of ISIS, and of terrorism in general, depends on the elimination of the same social and political factors that led to the group’s dramatic 2014 ascent in which it gained control of large portions of both Iraq and Syria.

Barzani’s comments came during a meeting at his Erbil office with Brigadier Richard Bell, the new Deputy Commanding General of the US-led Coalition to Defeat ISIS.

In the meeting, also attended by Deputy Prime Minister Qubad Talabani, Bell praised the heroism and sacrifices of Kurdish Peshmerga forces. He also brought up current programs of reform initiated by the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), but those too focused on reform affecting the Ministry of Peshmerga, with whom the Coalition works closely.

Bell stressed the need to continue support of the Peshmerga and strengthening its security coordination with the Iraqi military to confront the threats posed by ISIS terrorists. In this regard, he emphasized that the recent creation of new joint security coordination centers in territories disputed by Baghdad and Erbil was a positive step.

For his part, Barzani thanked the Coalition for its ongoing support and pointed to the importance of voting on the draft law of the criminal court on ISIS crimes by the Council of Ministers of the Kurdistan Region, expressing his hope that “this will be a step for holding such terrorists accountable, and bring justice and compensation for the victims.”

Source: Kurdistan 24