TILLERSON’S PLEA: Secretary of State Rex Tillerson slipped into and out of Iraq and Afghanistan yesterday, traveling under the radar for security reasons. In Baghdad, Tillerson issued a plea for the Iraqi government to reconcile with the Kurds, who are itching for independence. In an appearance with Iraqi President Haider al-Abadi, Tillerson said he was “concerned and a bit saddened” by open feuding between Abadi’s government and the Kurdistan Regional Government. “We have friends both in Baghdad, and we have friends in Irbil, and we encourage both parties to enter into discussion and dialogue,” Tillerson said. “I think if both parties commit themselves to a unified Iraq, to the Iraqi constitution, I think all differences can be addressed and the rights of all can be respected and Iraq will have a very secure and a prosperous future.”

In Afghanistan, Tillerson reiterated that Trump’s new strategy is aimed at breaking the will of the Taliban to drive them to the peace table. “We have to continue the fight against the Taliban and against others in order for them to understand they will never win a military victory,” Tillerson said. “There are, we believe, moderate voices among the Taliban, voices that do not want to continue to fight forever. They don’t want their children to fight forever. So we are looking to engage with those voices and have them engage in a reconciliation process leading to a peace process and their full involvement and participation in the government.”