Kurdistan Regional Government Representative Attends Iraq Liberation Day Ceremony

WASHINGTON, April 12 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Kurdistan Regional Government of Iraq's Representative to the United States, Qubad Talabani addressed the ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery commemorating Iraq Liberation Day on Friday, April 9. Members of American and Iraqi forces, including members of the Peshmerga, attended the event, alongside veterans and family of those soldiers who have fallen in support of Iraq's freedom.

"On this day, it is appropriate and right for us to commemorate the sacrifices made to liberate Iraq from decades of brutal tyranny under Saddam Hussein," said Mr. Talabani. "So to be absolutely clear: Iraq thanks you. I thank you. And the people of Iraq's Kurdistan Region, most of all, thank you."

During the ceremony, members of American and Iraqi forces laid wreaths at the joint gravesite of fallen soldiers from the U.S. and Iraq. Ms. Hayyam Sami Mahdi Al-Shather and Ms. Debra Argel-Bastian, whose husbands are buried at the site, attended and spoke at the event. Iraqi Air force Captain Ali Abbas Rubaie, Ms. Al-Shather's deceased husband, is the only Iraqi buried at Arlington Cemetery.

Other speakers included General Nasier Arkan Abadi, Vice Chief of Staff, Iraqi Joint Forces of the Republic of Iraq; U.S. Brigadier General Judd Lyons, Adjutant General of Nebraska; and Ms. Wendy Hoffman, National President of Blue Star Mothers of America.

"Today, we must thank those who have helped us get to where we are," Mr. Talabani said. "Because although we face complicated political problems, the majority of the political forces and people who guide Iraqi society want to live in peace. They want to live up to the promise that American forces have given us."

The third annual Universal Remembrance Ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery ended with a reading of a keynote address from KRG Minister for Peshmerga Affairs by Representative Talabani.

About the Kurdistan Regional Government

The Kurdistan Region is an autonomous region in federal Iraq. With a population of currently around 4 million and rapidly increasing, the three governorates of Duhuk, Erbil and Sulaimani cover approximately 40,000 square miles. The Kurdistan Region is considered to be the safest, most stable Region in Iraq, and it is host to an ever expanding number of commercial and trade initiatives. For more information, please visit www.krg.org.

This has been distributed by Qorvis Communications, LLC on behalf of the Kurdistan Regional Government. More information is available at the US Department of Justice, Washington, DC.

SOURCE Kurdistan Regional Government

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