US military expert says Iraqi forces field-ready, but political risks persist

SALADIN, Iraq — A US military expert has said that Iraq's Counter Terrorism Service and Kurdish Peshmerga forces have the training and experience needed to take over field command, even as American military involvement in the country recedes. Colonel Raphael Cohen, who directs the Strategy and Doctrine Program at the RAND research center and previously served two tours in Iraq as an army captain, said the units are capable of leading operations on the ground. He cautioned, however, that as the US military role diminishes, weaknesses in logistics and sustainment remain unresolved. Cohen, a former member of the Congressional National Defense Strategy Commission, also pointed to political risks beyond the operational picture. He noted that Iraq has long been governed along sectarian lines, and warned that internal tensions could resurface as US forces withdraw, potentially undermining the overall effectiveness of the Iraqi military. The analyst stressed that preserving military capacity cannot be separated from the need for political stability, framing the two as interlinked challenges for Iraq's security forces going forward.