Combined Security Mechanism: Framework for Security
at Disputed Boundaries [Iraq] (Lesson #2549)
Observation:
The Combined Security Mechanism (CSM), a framework agreement set up in 2009 between
the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF), Kurdish Peshmerga forces, and U.S. forces in Iraq, helped
to prevent tensions along Arab-Kurdish lines in the governorates of Ninewa, Kirkuk, and
Diyala. The main features of the CSM were combined patrols and checkpoints operated by
the Iraqi Army, Kurdish Peshmerga troops, and U.S. forces (covering disputed boundaries/
areas within the three governorates), as well as coordination centers that served to improve
communication and trust between the two groups (Arabs and Kurds).
Discussion:
In November 2009, Government of Iraq (GoI) Prime Minister Maliki and GoI-Kurdistan
Regional Government (KRG) President Barzani gave approval of a CSM architecture
consisting of 12 Combined Security Areas (CSAs) throughout Ninewa, Kirkuk, and Diyala;
Combined Coordination Centers (CCCs) (3 total; one in each of the three governorates);
combined checkpoints (22 were established), and combined security operations. Within the
12 CSAs, no single military force would be allowed to operate independently; security
operations within the CSAs were to be tripartite. On 30 January 2010, combined patrols of
the CSM were initiated, and the CSM continued to operate over the course of the year.
Besides aiming to prevent tensions and enhance residents’ security, the CSM created a
coordination process in which the ISF (Iraqi Army and Federal Police) and Kurdish
Peshmerga forces could build trust at an operational level in locations where they might
otherwise be at odds. By requiring transparency and collaboration on operations, the CSM
reduced the chances of violence between Iraqi and Kurdish forces. The U.S. ambassador
to Iraq, James Jeffrey, testified at a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing that the
CSM, which he called “extraordinarily successful,” was “an important tactical tool in the field
to suppress possible violence or possible disputes or possible, frankly, sparks that then
ignite a confrontation.” (Hanauer et al, p. 8)
Members of the combined forces (ISF, Kurdish Peshmerga forces, and U.S. personnel)
wore the insignia of the “Golden Lion.” Their combined operations were designed to show
the populace that Arabs and Kurds could participate in a cooperative security force that
operates according to the rule of law. When the CSM was agreed upon, the GoI and the
KRG also agreed upon a set of rules (“CSM Guiding Principles”) managing the deployment
of their respective troops within the CSAs of the three governorates. Iraqi and Kurdish
forces’ collaboration on both operational and mundane tasks, combined with shared
quarters and a campaign to portray the “Golden Lions” as an elite unit, helped to build a
cohesive unit identity that transcended ethnic differences.
The CSM was administered through provincial-level Combined Coordination Centers
(CCCs), which brought the parties together to plan deployments and operations in disputed
areas. Disagreements on operations or deployments that could not be resolved at a CCC
were escalated to higher-level mechanisms, including a Senior Working Group and a High
Level Ministerial Committee.
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