Washington, DC- Today, U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) released the following statement on the situation in Iraq:
“Extremist groups like the Islamic State pose a significant threat to the stability of the region and our national security interests. We know that the Islamic State and affiliated extremist groups have worked to recruit foreign fighters and pose a direct threat to our homeland security. The President’s decision to execute targeted airstrikes against militants in northern Iraq is a prudent decision intended to protect American interests.
I am deeply concerned about the developing humanitarian disaster, particularly for minority groups like Christians and Yazidis in areas held by the Islamic State in Iraq. We should continue to work with partners in the region to get urgently needed humanitarian aid to those displaced and persecuted by the militants in both Iraq and Syria.
As I have said before, the United States has a strategic interest in addressing extremism in the region, and we also need to see the Iraqi government take concrete steps towards a more inclusive and representative government, which will help reverse the extremists’ momentum. We should also continue to help our partners, like Jordan, address the Islamic State threat and the influx of refugees from both Iraq and Syria. As part of a broader strategy to protect American interests in the region, the Administration should provide additional support to moderate, vetted elements of the Syrian opposition, who have expressed their commitment to fighting extremism.”
###
