Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA), Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, issued the following statement after a bipartisan meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.  Ranking Member Eliot Engel (D-NY) also attended the meeting in the U.S. Capitol.  

Chairman Royce said:  “Our meeting with Prime Minister Maliki included a robust discussion on a range of critical issues, including the growing presence of al-Qaeda affiliated groups in Iraq and across the Middle East, Iran’s destabilizing role in the region and security for minorities in Iraq.  I urged the Prime Minister to do more to reconcile with his political opponents on key issues in order to marginalize the terrorists and militants who threaten to draw Iraq into another deadly civil war by exploiting these disagreements.  I also pressed Maliki to do more to ensure the safety of Iranian dissidents in Iraq, especially those at Camp Liberty, and to hold accountable those responsible for the horrific massacre of dissidents at Camp Ashraf in September.”

 

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