McGurk: US will continue military, political, economic support for Kurds

MUNICH, Germany (Kurdistan24) – During a side meeting at the 2017 Munich Security Conference, the Kurdistan Region President Masoud Barzani met with US Special Presidential Envoy for the Global Coalition to Counter ISIL Brett McGurk.

McGurk described the meeting as “excellent and poignant,” which coincided with the beginning of the next phase of the operation to retake the city of Mosul from Islamic State (IS) militants.

Moreover, he praised the cooperation between the Iraqi security forces and the Peshmerga in their efforts to liberate the city.

Asked by a Kurdistan24 reporter if the US’ support for Kurds was only military or if it contained a political aspect, McGurk replied it was “multi-faceted.”

“There is support on the security side, but there is also a significant support on the economic and political side,” McGurk explained.

He stressed that in meetings with President Barzani and Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, the US Vice President Mike Pence “made clear [the US’] support would continue.”

“We have to make sure that gains made against [IS] are lasting and enduring, and we’re going to do that,” McGurk reiterated.

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany