Donnelly visits Iraq as part of Congressional delegation

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Published: Monday, 29 June 2015 19:51

Senator will continue Armed Services travel through the week

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S.Sen. Joe Donnelly, who serves on the Senate Armed Services Committee, departed Iraq Monday (June 29) after traveling there with fellow members of Congress.

Donnelly participated in a fact-finding trip to meet with Iraqi leaders and U.S. military commanders on the ground to discuss operations against ISIS.

Donnelly said, “I went to Iraq to meet with U.S. military commanders and key Iraqi leaders engaged in the fight against ISIS. The so-called Islamic State continues to pose a serious threat to the Middle East, the U.S., and our allies around the world. With more than 3,000 U.S. troops in Iraq and more on the way, I felt it was critical to hear directly from our commanders on the ground and our Iraqi allies – Shia, Sunni, and Kurdish – about the current strategy. We also discussed what role the U.S. and our coalition partners in the region should play going forward.”

In Iraq, Donnelly and the delegation met with a range of officials including Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi; Lieutenant General James Terry, U.S. commander of the Combined Joint Task Force, Operation Inherent Resolve; and U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Stuart Jones. Donnelly also met with Shia, Kurdish, and Sunni leaders, as well as humanitarian groups working in Iraq.

Donnelly remains on official Senate Armed Services travel overseas for the rest of the week.