114TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. CON. RES. 41 

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 

1 Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives 

2 concurring), That it is the sense of Congress that— 

3 (1) the Peshmerga of the Kurdistan Region of 

4 Iraq have been one of the most effective fighting 

5 forces in the military campaign against the Islamic 

6 State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS); 

7 (2) the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham poses 

8 an acute threat to the Iraqi people and territorial in9 tegrity of Iraq, including the Kurdistan Region of 

10 Iraq, and the security and stability of the Middle 

11 East; 

12 (3) the severe budget shortfalls faced by both 

13 the Government of Iraq and the Kurdistan Regional 

14 Government are hindering the stability of Iraq and 

15 have the potential to undermine long-term efforts to 

16 bring about the sustainable defeat of the Islamic 

17 State of Iraq and al-Sham; 

18 (4) the $415,000,000 pledged by the United 

19 States Government to the Kurdish Peshmerga in 
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†SCON 41 ES 

1 April of 2016, in coordination with the Government 

2 of Iraq, in addition to the $65,000,000 already pro3 vided from the Iraq Train and Equip Fund, should 

4 remain a priority for the United States as part of 

5 the continued support for Iraqi Security Forces, in6 cluding the Peshmerga, in the fight against the Is7 lamic State of Iraq and al-Sham; 

8 (5) the Peshmerga should receive all weapons 

9 and equipment that the United States, by, with, and 

10 through the Government of Iraq, agrees to provide 

11 in an expeditious and in a timely manner; 

12 (6) it should be the policy of the United States 

13 to support, within the framework of the Iraq Con14 stitution, Iraqi Security Forces, the Kurdish 

15 Peshmerga in Iraq, Sunni tribal forces, and other 

16 local security forces, including threatened ethnic and 

17 religious minority groups, in the campaign against 

18 the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham; 

19 (7) ensuring the safe resettlement and re20 integration of ethnic and religious minorities, includ21 ing Christians (among them Assyrian, Chaldean, 

22 Syriac, Armenian, Evangelical, Antiochian and 

23 Greek Orthodox, Maronite, Melkite, and Roman 

24 Catholic communities), Yezidis, Turkmen, Shi’a, 

25 Shabak, Sabaean-Mandeans, and Kaka’i, among oth-
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†SCON 41 ES 

1 ers, including victims of genocide, into their home2 lands in Iraq, including the Ninevah Plain, is a crit3 ical component toward achieving a safe, secure, and 

4 sovereign Iraq; 

5 (8) the Peshmerga require equipment that will 

6 allow them to defend themselves and their coalition 

7 advisers against the increased use of vehicle-borne 

8 improvised explosive devices by the Islamic State of 

9 Iraq and al-Sham; 

10 (9) the Peshmerga are vital partners in the 

11 fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham; 

12 and 

13 (10) in coordination with the Government of 

14 Iraq, the United States will endeavor to increase as15 sistance to Iraqi Kurdish Forces to enhance their 

16 combat medicine and logistical capabilities, to defend 

17 internally displaced persons and refugees, and to de18 fend the Peshmerga and their coalition advisers. 

Passed the Senate July 14, 2016. 

Attest: 

Secretary. 
114TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. CON. RES. 41 

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 

Expressing the sense of Congress on the Peshmerga 

of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.