Rep. Tulsi Gabbard Meets with Kurdish Foreign Minister, Calls for U.S. to Expedite Heavy Weapons to Kurdish Peshmerga Forces Fighting ISIS

Statement

Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard (HI-02) today called for greater U.S. military aid and weapons for Kurdish Peshmerga forces who are fighting against ISIS in Iraq. The congresswoman is an original cosponsor of H. Res. 718, a bipartisan resolution to call on the Department of Defense to expedite all necessary military equipment, weapons and ammunition to the Kurdish Peshmerga to defeat ISIS.

"We have the ability to support the Kurdish Peshmerga forces as they bravely fight off the surge of ISIS fighters in the region," said Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, a captain in the Army National Guard who served two tours of duty in the Middle East. "The Kurds have the will and the motivation to destroy our common enemy in these Islamic extremists. We need to do everything we can to empower these courageous fighters who are serving on the front lines right now. H. Res. 718 expresses support for our allies and calls on the Defense Department to provide heavy weapons and other substantial, meaningful assistance to the Kurds, so they can take the fight to our enemy, and defeat them. They can't fend off this threat with small arms; they need the full backing and aid of the United States so they can get the job done."

In Washington today, Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard met with Falah Mustafa Bakir, Minister of Foreign Relations for the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) to get an update on the situation their forces are facing. He reiterated the serious need for heavy weapons and military aid, and the KRG's strong commitment to working with us to defeat Islamic extremists.

Source