Congresswoman: US should support Peshmerga to root out IS

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan24) – The US should make sure Peshmerga have what they need to hunt down the Islamic State (IS), said a Congresswoman on Thursday.

In an interview with Kurdistan24, Tennessee Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn said the US was fortunate to have Kurds as an ally in the fight against the extremist group.

She said the US Congress should ensure it provides enough funding for the 1.8 million refugees and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the Kurdistan Region, as well as the Peshmerga combating IS.

Blackburn called for Washington to “support the Kurds as they stand strong in this region [and] stand strong for freedom.”

“I’m so appreciative that President [Donald] Trump is focused on fighting [IS], ending these terrorist groups, sending a message that we’re going to hunt them down, we’re going to root them out, and we are going to end their existence,” the Congresswoman added.

Peshmerga are one of the most efficient ground troops defeating IS, according to the former US Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter.

Blackburn also stressed the significance of marking the anniversary of the Halabja chemical attack against the Kurds by Iraq's former dictator Saddam Hussein.

“It is very important that we stop every year and commemorate and remember [the Halabja genocide],” Blackburn stated.

The Congresswoman also noted she had backed legislation to reiterate support for the Kurds to make sure “we do not forget what happened and that we appropriately recognize that in our history.”

Blackburn urged the renewal of the US commitment to ensure “such atrocities and such human rights violations never occur again,” adding it should be “a shared goal.”

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany

(Rahim Rashidi conducted the interview from Washington, DC)