Senator Barbara Boxer, the leading Democratic cosponsor of the legislation, said the authority to directly arm the Kurds “will help ensure they have the support they need” in the fight against the Islamic State.
The Peshmerga has played a leading role in the international fight against the Islamic State. By late last month, KRG forces had recaptured up to 90 percent of the territory seized by ISIL in August 2014, according to reports from Peshmerga commanders.
The Senate legislation currently has five cosponsors, including the Republican presidential candidates Marco Rubio, Rand Paul, and Lindsey Graham.
The US House of Representatives introduced similar legislation in March 2015, calling on the US President to directly provide training and equipment to the Kurdish forces.
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