BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Mr. FORTENBERRY. Mr. Speaker, the international campaign to defeat
ISIL depends in great part on the strength and effectiveness of trusted
partners in the Middle East--trusted partners such as the Kurds.
The Kurdish Peshmerga is a moderate and capable force. They are
showing determined courage in fighting ISIL, and they are winning a
number of strategic victories. The Kurds are also defending the values
of tolerance and pluralism, sheltering hundreds of thousands of
Christians, Yazidis, and innocent Muslim people who have fled ISIL's
onslaught. They deserve robust support.
Driven by a twisted form of Islam, ISIL's militants are eighth
century barbarians using 21st century weaponry. The recent videotaped
immolation of a caged Jordanian pilot is a horrific reminder of their
brutality. They are now responsible for the deaths of four American
hostages, including Kayla Mueller, a 26-year-old humanitarian worker
who was captured while assisting refugees in Syria.
Confronted by such acts, the United States, Sunni Arab nations, and
key allies, including Germany, France, and Britain, should enhance
military support for the Kurds.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT