As co-chair of the Kurdish Caucus here, I think it’s so important that we stop every year and commemorate and remember [the March, 16, 1988 Halabja chemical attack that killed or injured 15,000 Kurds by former dictator Saddam Hussein].
And that we renew our commitment to making certain that such atrocities and such human rights violations never occur again. That should be something that is a shared goal.
We are so fortunate to have the Kurds as allies in the fight against ISIS. And it’s important that we make certain that the Peshmerga have what they need to go about this fight, rooting out ISIS. And I am so appreciative that President Trump is focused on fighting ISIS, ending these terrorist groups, sending the message that we are going to hunt them down, we’re going to root them out, and we are going to end their existence. That is something that is a very important message to communicate.
I think, likewise, it is so important that those of us in Congress continue our work to get the funding that is necessary for the refugee camps that are in the region, for the Peshmerga that are in the fight, and to support the Kurds as they stand strong in this region. Stand strong for freedom and against ISIS.
It’s important that we recognize the [1988] genocide and remember it. This is something, as you all know, that I have supported with legislation, and continued to push with legislation to support the Kurds. And then also to make certain that we do not forget what happened, and that we appropriately recognize that in our history.
• Rep. Marsha Blackburn, Tennessee Republican, spoke with Kurdistan24.net on March 19, 2017. The interview can be seen at https://youtu.be/wC-ULFE5U3o
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