Posted on 03/30/2015 9:01:02 PM PDT by Dave346
Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) traveled to Baghdad on Monday, where he met Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi to discuss the political and security situation there, according to the prime minister's office.
In another meeting with Speaker Salim al-Jabouri, Boehner affirmed support for Iraq's democratic system and discussed the shared U.S. determination to defeat the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), according to a parliamentary statement provided to The Hill by a local journalist.
The Speaker's visit with a congressional delegation comes as local forces, including Iranian-backed Shiite militias, work to retake the city of Tikrit, about 100 miles northwest of Baghdad, days after the U.S.-led, anti-ISIS coalition launched more than a dozen airstrikes there.
United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon was also in Baghdad on Monday to meet with al-Abadi. The Iraqi prime minister will visit the U.S. and meet with President Obama on April 14, White House press secretary Josh Earnest announced last week. It will be al-Abadi's first visit to Washington since becoming prime minister.
With Congress on recess, Boehner traveled with Republican congressional delegations to England on Friday to discuss U.S.-British ties, and met with Jordan's King Abdullah II on Sunday, where talks focused on Iranian-backed violence in the region, according to Boehner's office.
“America’s ability to lead in the world depends on Jordan’s ability to remain a stabilizing force in the Middle East, and we could not ask for a more solid partner," Boehner said in a statement Monday.
"We share the belief that defeating ISIL and stopping the spread of the terrorist threat will require a comprehensive approach. That means, in addition to security responses to the instability and violence, we have to improve our strategies to counter the economic and social drivers of radicalization," Boehner added, using an alternate acronym for ISIS.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) was meeting with Abdullah on Monday, according to the Jordanian leader's official Twitter account.
During a trip to Jerusalem over the weekend, McConnell warned that international negotiators are on the cusp of a bad deal on Iran's nuclear program, with a preliminary deadline looming Tuesday for a framework agreement.
Boehner is expected to visit Israel later this week, though he has no plans to speak to speak to its Knesset parliament.
At the Speaker's invitation, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed Congress earlier this month.
First stop: the wailing wall...
You cold, but very astute.
Boner loves a good cry......
I didn’t make the connection till you brought the Wailing Wall up! How appropriate. Meanwhile John can work on keeping his sun tanned look, this time without using even one aerosol can.
I wish Boehner a safe trip, but what if, God Forbid something happened over there. Who is next in line to act as Speaker of the House? Another polite RINO, most likely.
bigbob gets the credit, I just piled on.
You scaring me, I think they start dipping into cabinet members, like Hanoi Kerry or such?
al-Abadi is a mere figurehead with nothing behind him. Iraq is now an Iranian client state, with Iranian forces in control of the whole country.
Why Boehner is running to Al-Abadi is a laughable question, since al-Abadi’ has absolutely no authority other than an imaginary one.
Hey John, I hear Tikrit is nice this time of year. Why don’t you stop there on the way back from Israel?
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