Welcome to our June 2016 Newsletter Two years ago this month, the terrorists of the Islamic State in Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) attacked Mosul and began their rampage across Nineveh Province which by August 2014 saw the terrorists committing genocide against the Yezidis, Christians and other minorities. Many of you will remember the images of the Yezidis who fled to Mount Sinjar and eventually to the Kurdistan Region where they found a welcoming embrace and safety. With this dark anniversary in mind, a delegation from Sinjar is currently in Washington DC for meetings with US government officials, members of Congress, think tanks and humanitarian organisations. This follows their meetings in New York at the United Nations last week. Mahma Khalil (pictured), the Mayor of Sinjar, and Saido Haso Shingali, Head of the Kurdistan Brotherhood and Coexistence Bloc in the Nineveh Assembly, are calling for US assistance on key issues, including: * help bring back the thousands of Yezidi women, girls and children who are still held as slaves by ISIS * help bring the perpetrators of genocide to justice at the International Criminal Court * help with the protection, exhumation and evidence-gathering from the mass graves of Yezidis murdered by ISIS * assist in the reconstruction of Sinjar which has been utterly destroyed by ISIS and in the fighting to liberate the area. The destruction and lack of services make it impossible for the hundreds of thousands of displaced people to return to their homes The KRG Representation in the United States is honored to host this delegation and to assist in delivering its message to our American friends. A Kurdish photographer, Younis Mohammed, who captured some of terrible tragedies of the past two years on camera has been awarded first prize this week at the Moscow International Foto Awards. Another photographer with a growing following is Jemal Penjweny whose pictures depicting the hopes and tragedies of people across Iraq was profiled in the UK's Guardian newspaper this week. You can read about their photographic storytelling in the media section below. Bayan Sami Abdul Rahman Kurdistan Regional Government Representative to the United States ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Head of DFR delivers President Barzani's message at 25th anniversary commemoration of Operation Provide Comfort A message from Kurdistan Region President Masoud Barzani was delivered by Minister Falah Mustafa, the Head of the Department of Foreign Relations at an event marking the 25th anniversary of Operation Provide Comfort. The statement was delivered at a conference hosted by the Middle East Institute, titled 'Operation Provide Comfort: Reflections and Lessons for Today'. Others speakers included retired US generals Anthony Zinni and Jay Garner, who were involved in the operation, and diplomats, academics and military and humanitarian experts from the US and Kurdistan, including Khaled Salih, an independent Kurdish scholar and former KRG advisor and spokesman. Iraq's Ambassador Lukman Faily was also present. Watch a video of the event here.
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