Pentagon spokesperson Tom Crosson provided the following readout:
Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Middle East Policy Daniel B. Shapiro met with Yezidi civil society leaders at the Pentagon on July 26, ahead of the 10-year anniversary on August 3 of the genocide perpetrated by ISIS against Yezidis, Christians, and Shia Muslims. ISIS committed crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing against these groups, and in some cases against Sunni Muslims, Kurds, and other communities.
Reflecting on the horrors endured by the victims of ISIS, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Shapiro, counterparts from the Office of the Secretary of Defense and from the Joint Staff, and Yezidi civil society leaders also discussed ongoing challenges faced by Yezidi communities in Iraq and Syria, including ongoing insecurity in Sinjar.
Between 2014 and 2017, ISIS displaced millions of Iraqis from their historic homelands, including the majority of Iraq's Yezidi population. In August 2014, the U.S. military played a key role in repelling ISIS assaults on displaced Yezidis stranded on Mount Sinjar and in delivering humanitarian relief. In the 10 years that followed, Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve, the military mission of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS with partners in Iraq and Syria, territorially defeated ISIS. The ISIS threat remains, and millions remain displaced in both countries, including 300,000 members of the Yezidi population. The United States Government has invested over $500 million specifically targeted toward recovering communities most affected by ISIS. This investment is on top of billions of dollars in assistance provided to help those most in need.
On the eve of the 10-year anniversary of the genocide, the Department joins its partners in honoring survivors, remembering those who died, underscoring commitment to supporting ongoing recovery efforts for communities that suffered under ISIS, delivering accountability to those responsible for this tragedy, and ensuring that ISIS will not resurge.
