Biden, Barzani discuss support for war on al-Qaeda

U.S. Vice President Joe Biden and President of Iraqi Kurdistan Region Masoud Barzani have discussed support for the Iraqi government clampdown on Al-Qaeda organization. The Office of the Vice President said in a statement Biden spoke Thursday with the President of the Iraqi Kurdistan Region, and that the two leaders reaffirmed "the need for close coordination among all Iraqi leaders to isolate terrorist networks." Biden and Barzani discussed "their support for the joint efforts by local and tribal leaders and Iraqi Security Forces to combat the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant," the official statement said. He "encouraged President Barzani, as he has done with leaders in Baghdad and Ankara, to find a common way forward on the matter of energy exports and revenue sharing." The statement noted that Barzani "agreed to continued dialogue with the Iraqi government to seek agreement on a path forward." "The Vice President emphasized the strong and enduring U.S. support for a unified and federal Iraq as defined under the Iraqi constitution," it affirmed.