Thank you all for coming today. My name is Mickey Bergman, and I’m the CEO of Global Reach – an American nonprofit that works to bring home kidnap victims at no cost to the families.
We are here today because Elizabeth Tsurkov was kidnapped in Baghdad one year ago today by Kataib Hezbollah, a designated terrorist group.
We know that this group is active in Iraq and has been targeting American civilians and military personnel. This is the same group that was behind the attack that killed three US servicemembers in January at Tower 22 in Jordan.
Prime Minister Sudani has an opportunity to prove he is an ally. He has the opportunity to come to DC next month as a hero. He has a close relationship with Kataib Hezbollah. He can call them and work out a solution that would bring Elizabeth home to her family. How do we know that? Because he has done a similar thing in the past, for another hostage.
We know that the group holding Elizabeth has close links to the Iraqi government. Six members of the political wing of Kataib Hezbollah – the Hoquq Party – are members of Prime Minister Sudani’s governing coalition.
As ABC News recently reported, Kataib Hezbollah is also a principal member of the Popular Mobilization Forces, an Iraq government organization. Let me be clear, that means that the Iraqi government is providing funding to a designated terrorist group responsible for kidnapping and killing of Americans.
We know that Prime Minister Sudani can speak with Kataib Hezbollah if he wanted. He can have an Iraqi government doctor check on Elizabeth’s health. He can put Kataib Hezbollah in touch with Elizabeth’s family. He can arrange for her release. That is what allies do for each other.
But we also know that the Iraqi government has done nothing to help Elizabeth in the past year. They have done nothing to support her family. The Ambassador who works in the building behind us, has not even had the decency to meet with Emma despite numerous efforts on her part. It is time to act like an ally. Time to do the right thing and rescue Elizabeth.
To the White House – We were glad to see this case getting congressional oversight and investigation. As ABC exposed, it is unconscionable that US taxpayer dollars are going through the government of Iraq in support of a terrorist organization harming Americans and American interests. Kataib Hezbollah is a terrorist group that is a big part of the Iraqi government’s Popular Mobilization Forces. They pay their salaries and fund their pensions.
We know the Congressional inquiries and support of this case made the White House worried to the extent they made calls to members of Congress about today’s event.
We understand this poses a complicated challenge to U.S. policy in Iraq. And there are only two ways for the White House to resolve this:
This should be easy, but which path will the White House choose?
