Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-NJ) pauses outside the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad to greet U.S. soldiers.  Frelinghuysen, Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, is participating in an official Congressional delegation to key Middle East capitals led by Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-OH).

Speaker Boehner, Chairman Frelinghuysen Visit Key Capitals in Middle East

BAGHDAD, IRAQ– House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-NJ), House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) and a delegation of senior lawmakers visited Baghdad where they met Prime Minister Haider Al Abadi.  Their talks focused on the ongoing military campaign against ISIS in Iraq and efforts to arm peshmerga forces in the Kurdish region of northern Iraq.

Earlier in the trip, they visited with the King of Jordan, King Abdullah, at Beit al-Urdun Palace.  The delegation also met with U.S. Ambassador Alice Wells, Nasser Judeh, Jordan’s Foreign Minister, as well as senior embassy officials. Discussions focused on two major trends in the region: the violence caused by Iran’s allies and proxies, and the spreading of the terrorist threat.  There was also shared concern regarding how the negotiations over Iran's nuclear program fit in the larger context of the security challenges in the region.

“At every stop on this fact-finding trip, I expect to continue to hear the same message from our allies and partners: the United States must continue to lead. We agree that defeating ISIS and stopping the spread of the terrorist threat will require a clear strategy and a comprehensive approach.  The United States must support our partners in the region.”

In addition to Chairman Frelinghuysen, the delegation joining Speaker Boehner in the Middle East is made up of senior lawmakers charged with oversight of the United States’ efforts to defeat the terrorist threat and support our partners in the region.

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