Rep. Gregory Meeks, New York Democrat, said Monday that the U.S. must get allies in the Middle East involved in defeating the Islamic State militant group.
“Their silence has been deafening,” he said on MSNBC. “We need to make sure we’re working with Turkey and the Kurds in the area.”
President Obama announced this week that he is sending weapons to the Kurds, as well as continuing U.S. airstrikes in Iraq. Mr. Meeks said both of these efforts are critical to keeping American boots off the ground.
“I think we should not put American troops on the ground, so therefore, we’re going to continue to attack from the air,” he said. “That’s why it’s important to arm the Kurds because they are the ones on the ground.”
• Jacqueline Klimas can be reached at jklimas@washingtontimes.com.
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