Ted Poe: “Iraqi Kurds have been willing partners with the United States since the beginning of the transition to democracy in Iraq…”

“Iraqi Kurds have been willing partners with the United States since the beginning of the transition to democracy in Iraq in 2003. They personally endured the brutal persecution and murder, including the use of chemical weapons, that characterized the tyranny of Saddam Hussein's regime over Iraq. Their determination to prevent the recurrence of such persecution underlies their partnership with us in battling against terrorists, insurgents, and other militant extremists who seek to undermine the progress made in Iraq. They have committed themselves to a future within a Federal Republic of Iraq, a future of stability, of prosperity and democracy, of freedom and human rights. This is their vision, and this is our vision. Indeed, the future of United States cooperation with the Republic of Iraq in general, including the Kurdistan region, contains great opportunity for us.”