Kirkuk Governor Najmaldin Karim, who has in the past lived and represented his Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) in Washington, told Rudaw he expected the new US administration to boost its collaboration with Kurds in both Iraq and Syria.
Karim showed optimism for “broader and strengthened cooperation” between the US and the Kurds notwithstanding Trump’s call for radical minimization of American engagement in the world.
“I predict that the cooperation between America and Kurdistan to continue and expect it to become even broader and more strengthened. Those who have been nominated for the secretaries of state and defense have good knowledge of Kurdistan as do those who will serve in the White House,” Karim told Rudaw.
Trump’s pic for Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, former CEO of oil giant Exxon Mobil, and the incoming Defence Secretary retired General James Mattis have in the past shown support for more US engagement with Kurds.
Trump’s National Security Advisor Michael Flynn during the presidential campaign repeatedly called for stronger cooperation with Kurds in the fight against what he called “Islamic terrorism.”
Despite his largely blunt call for a non-interventionist US foreign policy in his inauguration speech, a clear break with the traditional American approach, President Trump said the US will continue the fight against “radical Islamic terrorism” until its total demise.
“We will reinforce old alliances and form new ones – and unite the civilized world against radical Islamic terrorism, which we will eradicate completely from the face of the Earth,” Trump said.
"The wealth of our middle class has been ripped from their homes and then redistributed across the entire world… From this day forward it’s going to be only America first,” the Republican told thousands of people gathered on the National Mall in Washington DC to see him take over from Democrat Barack Obama.
from Rudaw http://ift.tt/2jJ8e19
via Defense News
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