Government Advisor: Prime Minister Guides Iraq to Full Security Sovereignty

 
Baghdad –INA

Hussein Alawi, advisor to the Prime Minister, affirmed on Saturday, that the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Prime Minister Muhammad Shia’ al-Sudani, has steered Iraq toward complete security sovereignty for its armed forces.
He indicated that the completion of the international coalition's mission was achieved through a successful diplomatic trajectory led by the Prime Minister, noting that the joint statement between Baghdad and Washington will foster the nation-building process toward achieving stability and economic growth.

In an interview with the Iraqi News Agency (INA), Alawi stated: "After a decade since the formation of the international coalition, the legacy of the organization is coming to an end following a decade of collaborative efforts to defeat ISIS. This transition will elevate Iraqi-American relations and partnerships with coalition countries into stable security partnerships by 2025, supporting the Iraqi armed forces and maintaining pressure on the terrorist ISIS factions."
He added: "As for the international coalition, and given that Iraq is a founding member, and in accordance with the strategic requirements to prevent the resurgence of ISIS from northern Syria, September 2026 will mark the final year for the coalition's operations toward Syria via a defined platform established by the high military committee between Iraq and the coalition countries led by the United States."
He noted that "the international coalition, formed to support the fight against ISIS and which assisted the Iraqi armed forces in liberating the provinces controlled by terrorist factions ten years ago, declared its fraudulent caliphate. I still remember the voices of our community, leaders, and fighters during this pivotal moment in modern Iraqi history. Following the fall of Mosul, they required air support and intelligence. However, the voices of the heroes in our armed forces and the influence of the fatwa of efficient jihad from the supreme religious authority in Najaf al-Ashraf worked to bolster determination and guide a nation with a civilization spanning seven thousand years to triumph over terrorism."
 
He elaborated that "the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Prime Minister Muhammad Shia' al-Sudani, has adeptly steered Iraq toward comprehensive security sovereignty for the Iraqi armed forces. Following the parliamentary endorsement of the government program on October 27, 2022, which encompassed the conclusion of the international coalition's mission, Iraq has embarked on a deliberate national strategy aimed at fortifying its armed forces. Concurrently, it has engaged in meaningful dialogue with coalition nations to restore relations to the status prevailing prior to the fall of Mosul in 2014. This commitment was crystallized in the joint statement issued by the Iraqi and U.S. foreign ministries on Friday, September 27, 2024. Now, after 23 months, this pledge has been fulfilled through a successful diplomatic initiative led by the Prime Minister, who concurrently serves as the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces."
He further noted that "this commitment is not novel for the Prime Minister, who has been at the forefront of this endeavor since his tenure as the first Minister of Industry in 2014. During that period, he visited operational and liberation zones, engaging with citizens and combatants alike during the conflict and subsequent liberation efforts, thus reinforcing the considerable efforts and resilience of the inhabitants of the liberated provinces."
 
He stated that "the Prime Minister aims to transition the Iraqi state toward stability and development after the prospect of Iraq establishing normalized relations with coalition countries was postponed since 2017, following the declaration of complete liberation in the freed provinces. The dream of eradicating the remnants of ISIS and its delusional caliphate has now been realized, culminating in the dismantling of all security arrangements that were predicated on its presence in Iraq. Consequently, the conclusion of the international coalition's mission has been achieved after 23 months of dedicated efforts by the Prime Minister, which represented one of the fundamental tenets of the Iraqi state in 2022—ushering in an end to the era of conflict and the commencement of a new age of development."
He emphasized that "a decade of collaboration with the international coalition has endowed our Iraqi armed forces with invaluable lessons in enhancing capabilities and securing the national interest through the three interconnected communities within our armed forces: the intelligence community, the security community, and the military community, including the Peshmerga forces."
He further noted that "the joint statement issued by the Iraqi and U.S. foreign ministries will serve as a foundation for building the Iraqi state, supporting its trajectory toward achieving stability, economic growth, and recovery from the legacy of terrorist factions."
 
lawi remarked that they participated in the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, where the Prime Minister articulated the intrinsic connection between security and development. He expressed pride in stating that Iraq today is a far cry from its state in 2014 when the nation sought assistance from the international community and the United States to liberate its provinces from ISIS, as the wave of terrorism had surpassed Iraqi capabilities.
Alawi underscored that the Iraqi people decisively took charge of their liberation, effectively closing a significant chapter in the country’s history. He conveyed that the dust of war is now settling on the state, signaling the imminent arrival of a developmental era—an overdue entitlement and a dream for the youth and generations still anticipating significant enhancements in their economic and social conditions.
 
 
He stated, "The era of ISIS has ended, and Prime Minister Muhammad Shia al-Sudani has fulfilled his promise to the Iraqi people by leading the country towards stability, development, and reconstruction. This includes managing normal defense relations between Iraq and nations worldwide, including the United States, focused on capacity building, training, and supplying Iraq with arms deals. We should also acknowledge the Counter-Terrorism Service's achievement in securing second place at the Jordanian Hashemite Kingdom's Special Operations Championship, along with the operations of the National Intelligence Service and the performance of the Joint Operations Command's Targeting Cell under the supervision of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. This was exemplified by the Deputy Commander of Joint Operations during Operation Lion Leap in Anbar, Makhol, and Salah al-Din, alongside the activities of the Iraqi Ground Forces and Popular Mobilization Forces, led by the Chief of Staff of the Iraqi Army and his deputies in the Muhammad Messenger of Allah Operations, which employed effective operational techniques to strike local terrorist outposts in geographically challenging and complex areas."
He added, "Thus, from the Security Council and the decisions to pursue ISIS and support Iraq's government and people in their fight against the terrorist organization in September 2014 in New York, and on September 26, 2024, once again from New York, the Prime Minister delivered his address at the United Nations General Assembly, expressing gratitude to the allies in the international coalition for their support to Iraq. He announced the conclusion of the international coalition's mission by establishing a timeline and transitioning relationships to normal bilateral relations, reminiscent of the period before the fall of Mosul in September 2014. Indeed, on September 27, 2024, a joint statement was issued by the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the U.S. State Department, marking the end of the coalition's role and transitioning relations between Iraq and coalition countries, including the United States, toward a bilateral framework, declaring an end to the legacy of the war on ISIS and moving relations into a mutually beneficial partnership across all sectors, including defense, starting September 2025."
Iraq and the United States issued on Friday, a joint statement regarding the timeline for ending the international coalition's military mission to defeat ISIS in Iraq.
 
The joint statement , followed by the Iraqi news agency-INA affirmed “ Iraq and the United States of America are connected  by a strategic relationship, and as a result of consultations and discussions with the leadership of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS and its friendly member states, intensive discussions within the U.S.-Iraq Higher Military Commission, which worked diligently and professionally in intensive meetings over the past nine months, and after studying and evaluating the military and security situation in Iraq and the region, announce the following:
 
First:  Concluding the Coalition’s military mission in Iraq over the next twelve months, and no later than the end of September 2025, and transitioning to bilateral security partnerships in a manner that supports Iraqi forces and maintains pressure on ISIS.
 
Second:  As Iraq is a key member of the Coalition, and to prevent the return of the ISIS terrorist threat from northeast Syria, and subject to conditions on the ground and consultations among Iraq, the United States, and the members of the Coalition, the military mission of the Coalition operating in Syria from a platform determined in the HMC will continue until September 2026.
 
Third:  The Higher Military Commission commits to formulate the procedures necessary to achieve what is stated in the paragraphs above, the timing, and mechanisms to implement them, including procedures to ensure the physical protection of Coalition advisors present in Iraq during the transitional period, consistent with the Iraqi constitution and laws. Practical steps to implement these commitments have started.