WASHINGTON, D.C. — US Senator John McCain, who is widely known for his support of the Kurdish people, died on Saturday at the age of 81 on Saturday.
In October 2017, shortly after Iran-backed Shiite militias helped the Iraqi Army take the oil-rich city of Kirkuk from the control of Peshmerga, McCain wrote an Op-Ed for the New York Times, calling for Washington to stand behind the Kurds.
“Let me be clear:” he wrote, “If Baghdad cannot guarantee the Kurdish people in Iraq the security, freedom and opportunities they desire, and if the United States is forced to choose between Iranian-backed militias and our longstanding Kurdish partners, I choose the Kurds.”
McCain was a Republican, Korean Conflict veteran and Purple Heart recipient from Arizona. He died at 4:28 p.m. (local time) on Saturday, according to his family. He had suffered from a malignant brain tumor, called a glioblastoma, for which has been treated since 2017. Just a few days before, he announced that he would no longer seek treatment.
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via Defense News
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