Pentagon fears Islamic State surge in Iraqi Kurdistan
The Donald Trump administration is concerned that the Islamic State could take advantage of ongoing disputes between Iraq’s government and Kurdish authorities to gain refuge in the war-torn country.
The Donald Trump administration is worried that the Islamic State (IS) could take advantage of ongoing tensions between Iraq’s government and Kurdish authorities to gain sanctuary as the Pentagon tracks down sleeper cells from the militant group.
IS “currently exploits security gaps that exist in Iraq’s disputed territories and along the line of separation between Iraqi and Kurdish security forces,” said Michael Mulroy, the Pentagon’s deputy assistant secretary for the Middle East. “Ensuring that [IS] is not able to regain strength or territory in these areas is in the utmost interest of both Iraqi and Kurdish security forces.”