Iraq News Now

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — KRG deputy Prime Minister Qubad Talabani received US Special Presidential Envoy to the anti-ISIS coalition James Jeffrey in Erbil on Friday as ISIS is expected to be officially declared defeated in Syria.

“US forces had an important role in defeating the ISIS caliphate,” tweeted Talabani who as deputy PM has rarely publicly dealt with security matters.

Just a few hundred ISIS fighters remain holed up in al-Baghouz, Syria, east of the Euphrates where the Syrian Democratic Forces and US-led international coalition are targetting the remnants of the “caliphate.”

“But the war has not ended yet. That is why coordination between the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS supervised by the US, Iraqi and Peshmerga forces, is very important to ensure ISIS doesn’t resurface in Iraq,” added Talabani.

Jeffrey is also the US Special Representative for Syria Engagement within the State Department. He has been actively meeting with Iraqi and Kurdish leaders ahead of the imminent military defeat of ISIS.

Talabani was formerly the KRG Representative to the United States and enjoys close ties to Washington, D.C.

He is from the Kurdistan Region’s Sulaimani province that shares a long border and many crossings with Iran. The administration of US President Donald Trump has increasingly pressured Tehran through economic and trade sanctions. Oil deals between the Kurdistan Region and Iran have been a issue of contention between Washington, Baghdad, and Erbil.

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— Qubad Talabani (@qubadjt) February 22, 2019

Talabani received the most votes among list leaders in the Kurdistan Region parliamentary election in September. It was the first election since his father, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan’s (PUK) leader and founder Jalal Talabani passed away in 2017.

Qubad Talabani has opted to not be sworn into the parliament, indicating that he is likely to seek a post in government or possibly become the PUK’s next leader.

The PUK is currently headed by acting leader Kosrat Rasul who has tremendous influence in the party as a Peshmerga commander.

The party is yet to hold a congress to elect a leader following Jalal Talabani’s death.