Minister Mustafa thanked the NGOs for their efforts and highlighted the need for international cooperation, saying, ‘We were once refugees ourselves and so we understand the pain of being displaced. Today we offer what we have, but we need the help of the international community.’
The Minister also met Walid Phares, professor and commentator on global terrorism and Middle East affairs, and advisor to the US, European, and international governments and agencies. Minister Mustafa assured Dr Phares that, with the support of the US and international partners, the peshmerga would defeat ISIS terrorists.
At a meeting on Tuesday, Senator Ron Johnson of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee voiced strong support for the Kurds against ISIS saying, ‘The Kurds are our major ally in this fight.’ Minister Mustafa expressed the KRG’s deep gratitude for the timely US airstrikes that saved tens of thousands of Yezidis trapped on Mount Sinjar and have helped push ISIS out of numerous towns and villages in northern Iraq.
The Minister also met with Congressman Mike Rogers, Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, offering the KRG’s gratitude for the airstrikes and for the military advisors, saying they have been essential to the peshmerga offensive against ISIS.
In a separate meeting with longtime friends of the Kurds Congressman Dana Rohrabacher and Gregory Meeks of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, the Minister highlighted the success and bravery of the peshmerga and discussed President Barzani’s effort to strengthen them. He said, ‘Our aim is to train and equip the peshmerga forces into a professional national army to face such ongoing threats in the Middle East.’
Minister Mustafa will continue the visit with Dr Hussein with meetings in Congress and with the administration, appearances on PBS News Hour, a live appearance on CNN’s The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer on Wednesday at 6pm, and MSNBC’s Daily Rundown on Thursday at 9am, as well as numerous interviews for radio and print.
(Source: KRG)
Comments are closed.