After losing a leadership battle and being ousted from the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, Lahur proceeded to found his own party, the People's Front.

A staunch ally of the United States and the West, Talabani continues to be an influential and crucial figure in the security and political fields in Middle East and the wider region.

Having established strong foundations with key figures in Iraq, Talabani also maintains good relations with prominent Arab leaders and influential Western and Middle Eastern states.

Highly trained and well equipped, the CTG forces under Talabani's leadership have repelled and eliminated countless terrorist threats to the Kurdistan Region and Iraq.

In 2003 Talabani played a leading role in the decisive Operation Viking Hammer to oust the Ansar al-Islam terrorist organization, which was recognized as a major threat to Kurdistan's national security.

In July 2021, Bafel shut down a media outlet close to Sheikh Jangi and ousted several important commanders from the counter-terrorism and intelligence units of the PUK, who were seen as affiliates of him.

Talabani has played a pivotal role in unifying the Kurdish intelligence apparatus as well as modernizing Zanyari to better combat evolving national and regional security threats.