Earlier this week, seven members of the US.. Congress visited Iraqi Kurdistan and met with Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) President Masoud Barzani and Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani.
President Barzani took the opportunity to thank the members of U.S. Congress for the United States’ role in fighting the so-called Islamic State. In turn, the delegation commended the Peshmerga’s success in the fight against the Islamic State, and recognized the KRG’s strong effort to provide a safe haven for refugees from the conflict.
Members of U.S. Congress Talk About Peshmerga
In a statement, Senator Joe Donnelly (D-IN) said that the visit was critical in hearing directly from the Peshmerga commanders about the current strategy, and that the members of U.S. Congress spoke with President Barzani about the best course of action for the United States and coalition partners moving forward.
The group of Americans included Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA), Senator Joe Donnelly (D-IN), Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI), Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA), Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-MA), Rep. Brian Higgins (D-NY), Rep. Peter Welch (D-VT).
The trip to Erbil was initially kept a secret amidst security concerns. The group of U.S. politicians, led by Senator Kaine, is headed to Ankara, to potentially meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
[Read More at NRT]
