Notably, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson-who has been criticized for keeping a bizarrely low profile and avoiding the press-has not yet visited Iraq.
Before and following his election victory, President Donald Trump has had some harsh words for China on a number of key issues that many have claimed bristled Chinese President Xi Jinping and his government.
The New York Times reported that it was "unclear what Mr. Kushner, who has been expanding his reach in his father-in-law's administration, planned to gain from the trip".
General Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, asked Kushner and White House homeland security adviser Tom Bossert to accompany him on the trip, Navy Captain Greg Hicks said in an emailed statement. Basically, Trump has officially tapped Kushner to find out how to run the country like a business. They are now the presidents top advisers and worth $740M.
This gesture comes days after USA -backed Iraqi troops suffered devastating losses in the Islamic State stronghold of Mosul.
White House defends transparency after visitor log reversal
Long-standing norms that were respected and followed by leaders from both parties are being brazenly ignored by President Trump . However, visitor logs for White House agencies, such as the Office of Management and Budget and the U.S.
Kushner's trip was his first to Iraq and the visit to Hammam al-Alil, where USA advisers and artillery are positioned to assist the battle in Mosul, was also the closest Dunford has gotten to Mosul since the campaign began.
The Mosul battle, the biggest in Iraq since the US -led invasion in 2003, has been under way since October, with 100,000 Iraqi troops, Kurdish fighters and Shi'ite militiamen seeking to drive out the militants with the support of USA -led air strikes. He has been deeply involved with presidential staffing, recently launched a task force meant to modernize government using lessons drawn from the private sector, and has played the role of shadow diplomat, advising on relations with the Middle East, Canada and Mexico. Last month, he received the added title of Director of the White House Office of American Innovation, a new position created by the Trump administration.
Jared Kushner's role in the Trump administration extends far beyond being an worldwide liaison.
Trump campaigned on defeating Islamic State but has yet to announce any dramatic shift in war strategy.
Associated Press writers Jonathan Lemire, Lolita C. Baldor, Vivian Salama and Catherine Lucey in Washington contributed to this report.
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