In the News
This segment aired on Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs. JCFA conference on Israel’s defensible borders, October 28, 2026.
Featuring Ernie Audino, Senior Military Fellow, Kurdistan Program (U.S. Chair), Gold Institute for International Strategy
In brief
Ernie Audino speaks at a Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs conference on Israel’s defensible borders about serving alongside Kurdish Peshmerga fighters in Iraq.
From the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs: “There was no fight against ISIS and al-Qaeda without the Kurds.” Speaking at a JCFA conference on Israel’s defensible borders, U.S. Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Ernest Audino shared his firsthand experience serving alongside Kurdish Peshmerga fighters in Iraq. After surviving Saddam Hussein’s chemical attacks and decades of persecution, the Kurds became some of the most capable and loyal allies in the fight against ISIS. Audino emphasized that moderate forces across the Middle East need more than recognition. They need security, protection, and support to stand against extremism.
Watch the full segment at Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs
Ernie Audino is a Senior Military Fellow, Kurdistan Program (U.S. Chair) at the Gold Institute for International Strategy, a Washington, D.C. foreign policy and defense think tank.
