I was one of last advisors to leave Northern Iraq

From:info@votevets.org To: john.podesta@gmail.com Date: 2014-08-13 15:32 Subject: I was one of last advisors to leave Northern Iraq

John - In 2011, I was one of the last advisors to leave Northern Iraq. One of my responsibilities was to train the Kurdish fighting force, better known as the Peshmerga. U.S. Special Forces have been training the Kurds for years since they resisted Saddam Hussein, and they fought ably alongside our troops when the Iraq War started in 2003. So I had a strong personal reaction when news began to spread that the Kurdish capital of Irbil was under threat from an Islamic State advance. Many times I've explained that it isn't in the United States' security interest to take sides in a Middle Eastern civil war -- most recently our decision to arm Syrian rebels which helped give rise to the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. But the Kurds are not proactive actors in that civil war, they are our best allies in the Gulf region. That's why I supported President Obama's announcement of limited military action to protect US installations and tacitly support the Kurds. But as VoteVets' Chairman, I also need to hear what you think about the recent news in Iraq. Let me know here. http://action.votevets.org/iraq In the coming days and weeks, I'll watch with interest, cautious against an escalation of hostilities that can drag our country back into a military conflict in desperate need of a political solution. As always, it's up to Iraqi leaders here -- there is no American military action that can bring peace to the country. That's why it was also heartening to hear the president say, "Iraqi leaders need to come together and forge a new government that represents the legitimate interests of all Iraqis." And recently, it looks like Iraqi's have taken the first steps towards removing Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki from power. So for now, the limited engagement to protect the Kurdish people sounds like the right action to me. Let me if you agree, or even if you disagree: http://action.votevets.org/iraq This is a real difficult and complicated issue. I'll keep monitoring it, cautious about escalation, but supportive of this initial action. I hope you'll sound off and let me know what you think. All the best, Jon Soltz Iraq War Veteran and Chairman VoteVets.org http://action.votevets.org/unsubscribe Paid for by VoteVets Action Fund