Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby provided the following readout:
Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III met on November 20 with Prime Minister Masrour Barzani of Iraq’s Kurdistan Regional Government in Manama, Bahrain, during the annual Manama Dialogue. He offered his deep appreciation for the continued partnership between the United States and the Kurdistan Regional Government.
Secretary Austin further thanked Prime Minister Barzani for the Iraqi Kurdish Peshmerga’s critical contribution to the fight against ISIS.
Secretary Austin underscored that U.S. forces remain in Iraq at the invitation of the Iraqi government, to support the campaign to defeat ISIS.