Italy's Role in Combating the Terrorist Organization ISIS in Iraq After 2014

Abstract

This study analyzes Italy’s role in combating the terrorist organization ISIS in Iraq after 2014, highlighting it as one of the most significant European contributions within the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS. Drawing on its military, technical, and diplomatic expertise, Italy played a key role in strengthening Iraqi security capabilities through extensive training programs that targeted the Counter-Terrorism Service, the Federal Police, and the Peshmerga forces. Italy also contributed to explosive ordnance disposal operations and to enhancing Iraq’s capacities in counter–improvised explosive devices (C-IED).

In addition, Rome assumed a pivotal role in protecting Italian engineering teams involved in the rehabilitation of the Mosul Dam, a project of critical strategic importance for Iraq’s water security. The study further examines Italy’s diplomatic and cultural efforts, particularly through the Carabinieri’s cultural protection units, which were instrumental in safeguarding Iraqi cultural heritage following the liberation of Mosul. The paper concludes that, despite constraints imposed by Italy’s domestic political considerations and its relative reliance on coordination with the United States, Italy’s engagement made a tangible contribution to enhancing Iraq’s security capabilities and supporting its post-ISIS stabilization efforts, with potential for further expansion within the framework of Iraqi–European partnership in the coming years