On Monday, the US-Iraq Joint Security Cooperation Dialogue (JSCOD) commenced its two-day session at the Pentagon. This marks the second meeting of the JSCOD, with the first held in August 2023. The dialogue includes representation from the Peshmerga and other Iraqi military units, according to Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Patrick Ryder.
Ryder noted, "Today, the Pentagon is hosting the 2024 U.S.-Iraq Joint Security Cooperation Dialogue." The Iraqi delegation includes participants from the Ministry of Defense, Armed Forces, Counter-Terrorism Service, and the Kurdish Peshmerga. The US delegation comprises members from the US Central Command, the Pentagon Joint Staff, State Department, Defense Security Cooperation Agency, and the National Security Council.
State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller highlighted that the State Department is represented by Victoria Taylor, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Iraq and Iran, and the US ambassador to Iraq, Alina Romanowski.
The meeting follows the visit of Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani to Washington in April, his first visit to the US capital and meeting with a US president. A joint statement from Biden and Sudani affirmed their intent to convene the JSCOD to discuss the future of the bilateral security partnership and the transition of the Global Coalition's mission in Iraq to enduring bilateral security partnerships.
Ryder emphasized the significance of the dialogue in strengthening bilateral security relations and in recognition of the upcoming ten-year anniversary of the Global Coalition’s military mission in Iraq. Further details on the JSCOD meetings will be provided after their conclusion on Tuesday.
