Trump says to look into helping Kurdistan Region against attacks

WASHINGTON DC - US President Donald Trump told Rudaw on Tuesday that he is aware of the recent attack on Kurdistan Region's Khor Mor gas field, adding that his administration will look into helping Kurdistan Region in this regard.

“We will look at it. I heard about it, and I am hearing about it more now. Frankly, it wasn't at the top of my list,” said President Trump following a cabinet meeting when Rudaw asked about last week’s attack on the key gas field. 

He added that this question is “important” to him.

Located in the Chamchamal district of the Kurdistan Region’s eastern Sulaimani province, the Khor Mor gas field came under attack on Wednesday. Power supplies sharply declined after the attack and the Region had experienced a partial blackout for days.

The attack has been widely condemned by the international community. 

The US has invested in the gas field. 

Trump also said that since the US hit Iran with B2 bombers in June, Iraq has been friendlier with Washington. 

“Iraq has been much different in terms of us than they were prior to us taking out the nuclear capability of Iran,” he said. 

“Iran has gone down many, many steps in terms of its fear factor. They were the bully of the Middle East, and they're really not the bully of the Middle East anymore. And Iraq was being bullied by Iran,” he noted. 

The US president also said that Iraq was among dozens of countries that nominated him for the Nobel Prize. 

“Iraq has been a much friendlier place. They talk to us. The prime minister [Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani] actually nominated me, along with about 78 other countries, for the Nobel Prize. I'm the only one that was nominated by almost 100 countries that didn't get it. But that's okay. But I saved a lot of lives. I saved a lot of lives. But Iraq nominated us for the Nobel Prize, and that was a great honor. We didn't expect that from Iraq. Iraq has been a much different place since the taking out of Iran of the nuclear capability,” he said. 

The following is the transcript of the Rudaw question and Trump's answer:

Rudaw: Last week, the Iraqi militia groups attacked one of the largest gas fields in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, where even US companies have invested in these gas fields.

Donald Trump: Yeah, are you from Iraq?

I'm from Kurdistan - Iraqi Kurdistan, working for Rudaw Media Network. And the Kurdistan Region’s Prime Minister [Masrour Barzani] requested the United States to provide some sort of defense system to defend these gas fields and US investments in the Kurdistan Region. Are you willing to help them?

Well, we will look at it. I heard about it, and I'm hearing about it more now. Frankly, it wasn't at the top of my list. It's a very unusual question, I think. But I assume you're from the area, and to you, it's a very important question. And to me, it is also, because people are being killed. I will say this: Iraq has been much different in terms of us than they were prior to us taking out the nuclear capability of Iran.

You know, Iran has gone down many, many steps in terms of its fear factor. They were the bully of the Middle East, and they're really not the bully of the Middle East anymore. And Iraq was being bullied by Iran.

We had a president that thought it was brilliant to blow them up, and they blew them up. And all of a sudden, instead of having a power that was basically equal to Iran, they had Iran ruling the Middle East for a long period of time. But Iraq, from the day we hit them with those B-2 bombers and knocked out and obliterated, but CNN said, well, maybe it wasn't totally obliterated. Well, it turned out it was total obliteration. It was every single one of those missiles hit its target. It was actually amazing. But it was wiped out, totally wiped out.

I will tell you, Iraq has been a much friendlier place. They talk to us. The prime minister actually nominated me, along with about 78 other countries, for the Nobel Prize. I'm the only one that was nominated by almost 100 countries that didn't get it. But that's okay. But I saved a lot of lives. I saved a lot of lives. But Iraq nominated us for the Nobel Prize, and that was a great honor. We didn't expect that from Iraq. Iraq has been a much different place since the taking out of Iran of the nuclear capability.

Last updated at 11:08 pm