US Vice President: 'Peshmerga are the single most competent warriors'
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan24) – On Thursday, the Kurdistan Region Security Council Chancellor Masrour Barzani met the US Vice President Joe Biden who expressed deep gratitude for the sacrifices Peshmerga forces have made fighting the Islamic State (IS).
Praising the Kurdish forces for their 'extraordinary' and 'enormous' sacrifices, Biden stated that "Peshmerga are the single most competent warriors."
[Kurdistan Region Security Council (KRSC) Chancellor Masrour Barzani (L) shaking hand with the US Vice President Joe Biden in Washington DC, May 2015. (Photo: Archive)]
"You're making enormous, physical sacrifices," stated Biden addressing the Peshmerga forces of the Kurdistan Region.
It was a great pleasure to meet @VP Biden & @NSC44 to discuss post-ISIL political/security challenges and future dynamics in Iraq & beyond.
— Masrour Barzani (@masrour_barzani) December 8, 2016
Avril Haines, Deputy National Security Advisor, and Brett McGurk, President Obama's top envoy for the US-led international coalition fighting IS were present in Chancellor Barzani's meeting with the Vice President.
The Kurdistan Region delegation headed by the Chancellor have been meeting prominent US officials to discuss further military and financial support for the Kurdistan Region.
On Wednesday, the delegation was invited by the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations to discuss Mosul operation, the prospects of Kurdistan Region's independence, future of Erbil-Baghdad Relations, US-Kurdistan ties and regional security and political developments.
Barzani described the sacrifices Kurds have made in the post-2003 Iraq, including the war on international terrorism and reaffirmed Kurdistan's commitment in the fight against the Islamic State (IS).
Talking about the challenges in clearing IS from Mosul and future challenges that may emerge, the Chancellor said, "unless the root causes are addressed, it will be only a matter of time before another group similar to IS reemerges."
The meeting attended by Bob Corker, the Chairman of Senate Committee on Foreign Relations and Vice Chairman Ben Cardin, as well as other members such as Senators Marco Rubio and Rand Paul, former presidential candidates.
The meeting attended by Bob Corker, the Chairman of Senate Committee on Foreign Relations and Vice Chairman Ben Cardin, as well as other members such as Senators Marco Rubio and Rand Paul, former presidential candidates.
Chancellor Barzani also spoke about the humanitarian burden in the Kurdistan Region and called on the senators to press for additional financial support. He called for more military aid to Peshmerga forces, stating that "We expected the international community to provide more advanced equipment."
He also discussed at length the historical atrocities against the Kurds since the creation of Iraq and explored mechanisms to secure the Kurds' future.
"We have tried every method to make Iraq work. We cannot continue to be held hostage to the rest of Iraq...if we cannot live together in peace we can live alongside each other as strategic neighbors,” added Chancellor Barzani.
Editing by Delovan Barwari