Pence praises Kurds during surprise Iraq visit
Tim O'Donnell
2:05 p.m.
The Trump administration might be trying to make amends with the Kurds, Politico reports.
Vice President Mike Pence made an unannounced trip to Iraq on Saturday. After serving Thanksgiving lunch to U.S. troops stationed at Al Asad Air Base in the Al Anbar province, Pence traveled to Erbil to meet with Iraqi Kurdistan President Nechivran Barzani.
While there, Pence said an "enduring bond exists between the Kurdish people and the people of the United States," despite the Trump administration's decision to re-position troops in northeastern Syria, leaving Kurdish forces vulnerable to Turkish military attacks. When asked if there was a sense among the Kurds that the U.S. had betrayed them, Pence said he doesn't believe so — at least at this point in time. "I don't think there was any confusion now among the leadership here in the Kurdish region of President Trump's commitment to our allies here in Iraq as well as those in the Syrian Defense Force, the Kurdish forces who fought alongside us," he said. "It's unchanging."
See more at: https://theweek.com/speedreads/880628/pence-praises-kurds-during-surprise-iraq-visit
A story to watch.
On this topic, it almost looks like Marsha Blackburn was on the ground when Erodgan arrived about 10 days ago. Why would she be there? She has been vocal in her support of the Kurds. Many live in Tennessee. I haven't seen much coverage on this.