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Immediate Release

Readout of Secretary Mattis’ Meeting with Kurdish Regional Government President Masoud Barzani

Pentagon Chief Spokesperson Dana W. White provided the following readout:


Today Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis met with Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) President Masoud Barzani to thank him for his strong leadership of Peshmerga forces and being a supportive partner in operations to defeat ISIS.


The secretary congratulated President Barzani on the success in Mosul, and noted the liberation of that city was only possible due to the strong cooperation between Baghdad and Erbil. To maintain this cooperation, the secretary encouraged President Barzani to engage in a sustained dialogue with Prime Minister Abadi and keep the focus on maintaining the momentum against ISIS.‎