WASHINGTON, DC—Representative Eliot L. Engel, the leading Democrat on the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, today issued the following statement about President Obama’s remarks on the crisis in Iraq:

“In Iraq, we’re facing a crisis with no good solution. We cannot allow ISIS to turn Iraq into a no-man’s-land where terrorist groups could flourish and threaten another 9/11. At the same time, we cannot risk a repeat of the Bush Administration’s disastrous invasion.

“We also need to bear in mind that what’s taking place in Iraq is closely tied to the civil war in Syria, and that the path forward in Iraq will have ramifications for the entire region.

“I support the President’s decision to assist the Iraqi Security Forces while making clear that American combat troops will not be returning to Iraq. While the United States has clear national security interests at stake, as the President said, this crisis must ultimately be solved by the Iraqi people. The only path to a peaceful Iraq is if the country’s leaders engage with all groups and work toward political and economic reforms for all Iraqis—and I question whether Prime Minister Maliki is the right leader to do so.”

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