June 26, 2015
WASHINGTON, DC – Iraq’s Ambassador to the United States, Lukman Faily, released the following statement of condolences in the death of Brigadier General Rasid Hasan, who died Wednesday evening in the crash of an Iraqi F-16 while on a training mission in Arizona:
“We all deeply mourn the tragic loss of Brigadier General Rasid Hasan, and we offer our most sincere sympathies to his family. General Hasan was a courageous pilot who was one of the first Iraqi airmen to come to the United States to train in the use of Iraqi F-16s that will soon be flying missions over our homeland. General Hasan was an essential part of a critical program to boost Iraqi security with Iraqi pilots flying Iraqi planes. This is an important initiative in our fight against Daesh, and the death of General Hasan will be deeply felt. We have lost a dear friend, a brave colleague and a great patriot who gave his life in defense of Iraq and in our joint fight against terrorism at home and around the globe.
“We are continuing to work with appropriate federal, state and local officials to determine the cause of Wednesday’s crash near Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona.
“In the meantime, on behalf of the Embassy and its staff, our thoughts and prayers are with General Hasan and his family.”