The KRI is in a unique diplomatic position, operating as an autonomous region rather than a sovereign country. Bayan Sami Abdul Rahman has spent nearly a decade in Washington DC. She's operated as the KRG's chief diplomat in the United States. Representative Abdul Rahman has served as Kurdistan's ambassador through multiple presidential administrations and numerous historical hurdles, such as the 2017 referendum to declare Kurdistan an independent state from Iraq, the military coalition to defeat ISIS and care for the refugees and IDPs that have fled due to the resulting conflict. In this episode we discuss her background and upbringing, including her family's legacy in Kurdistan as well as her views on the ongoing Sadrist protests in Baghdad.