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Press Availability in Baghdad, Iraq - John Kerry
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Embassy Baghdad
Baghdad, Iraq
September 10, 2014
SECRETARY KERRY: Well, good afternoon, everybody. Let me apologize up front for, number one, being a little late, but two, because we’re running a little late and I have an important meeting in Amman, we’re going to have to be a little bit curtailed on the questions, and I apologize for that.
I really am delighted to be here today in Baghdad on the heels of such an important moment for the Iraqi people just one day after they have completed a very critical and very difficult task of forming a government. And the fact that the Iraqis were able to overcome such deep sectarian and ethnic divides and approve a new and inclusive government is really a great accomplishment.
They were able to do this – the fact that they were able to do this peacefully in the midst of unspeakable terror and violence and bloodshed is nothing short of historic. And it’s a true signal that Iraq and the leaders they have chosen are committed at this moment to the democratic future that so many Iraqis have sacrificed everything to bring about.
Obviously, the hard work is very far from over. We all know that. In many ways, it’s just beginning. Establishing a government doesn’t mean a lot if it is not able to govern effectively or doesn’t govern inclusively, and it particularly needs to govern inclusively in order to represent the interests of all the Iraqi people.
I was encouraged – very encouraged, as a matter of fact, because I’ve been here many times in many meetings, and I have never in any of those meetings seen a unanimity, without complaint, of a sense of direction and commitment to the concept of inclusivity and of addressing the unaddressed issues of the last eight years or more. I was encouraged by the commitment that I heard from all of the leaders that I met with today, but a particular clarity from Prime Minister Abadi, from President Masum, and from Speaker Jabouri.
Each of them restated their deep commitment to coming together in order to solve the immediate problems of inclusivity, of oil, of federalism, of the budget, of de-Baathification – all of those issues that have confounded Iraq for these past years and divided it. They understand the road traveled, and they understand the road they want to travel, and they don’t want to go backwards.
They all stated their commitment to the national plan, and that plan was developed specifically to address these longstanding grievances that have been an obstacle to Iraq’s prosperity and security for far too long, including, I might add, issues with respect to their security forces, the nature of those security forces, the makeup of those security forces, the inclusivity of those forces itself, the regional autonomy issues, the devolution of power, questions of the constitution, and particularly the allocation of Iraq’s budget.
The national plan also calls for the establishment of locally rooted security structures that are directly integrated into the Iraqi security forces. This national guard, as it has been called, will protect the population of Iraqi cities and towns, and it will also deny space for ISIL. As it does that, it is going to be the key to guaranteeing that Iraq’s territorial integrity can be kept intact and, in fact, unthreatened.
I was also encouraged to learn today that Prime Minister Abadi is very focused on this national guard and plans to accelerate its formulation during his first cabinet meeting this week. The United States is prepared to provide technical advice and assistance in order to help the Iraqis move this very important initiative forward. Now, implementing the national plan effectively is going to require patience and it’s going to require further compromise. But it’s the only way that Iraq has any hope of actually securing the effective, inclusive government that the Iraqi people demand and deserve.
Today, President Obama asked me to come here not just to build a coalition, not just to talk to the Iraqis about the road forward here at this moment, but also to underscore to the people of Iraq that the United States will stand by them in this effort. We stand by Iraq as it continues to build a government that meets the needs of each of Iraq’s diverse communities, and we stand by them as they fight to overcome the single greatest threat that their government, their families, and their neighbors face today, and that’s ISIL.
ISIL claims to be fighting on behalf of Islam, but the fact is that its hateful ideology has nothing to do with Islam. ISIL is a manifestation of evil, a vicious terrorist organization, and it is an organization that achieves its goals only through violence, repression, and destruction. Fed by illicit funding and a stream of foreign fighters, it has seized territory and terrorized the people who live there regardless of their sect or ethnicity. There is literally no place for their barbarity in the modern world. And this is a fight that the Iraqi people must win, but it’s also a fight that the rest of the world needs to win with them. And it’s a fight the United States and the rest of the world need to support every single step of the way.
As President Obama has made clear from the beginning, a new and inclusive Iraqi Government has to be the engine of our global strategy against ISIL. And now that the Iraqi parliament has approved a new cabinet with new leaders and representation from all Iraqi communities, it’s full speed ahead. And President Obama a few hours from now will lay out his strategy for taking America, Iraq, the region, and the world forward with respect to this challenge. We need to continue to drive this strategy over these next days with intensity.
Already, we and nearly 40 other countries, even as I speak now, are already contributing military, humanitarian, and other assistance to aid the campaign against ISIL. And to date, with the help of our international partners, the United States has launched more than 150 airstrikes in order to weaken ISIL and protect the innocent people that it seeks to harm, and also to specifically help to break the siege in Amirli, to help to break the siege at the Mosul Dam and at Sinjar Mountain, with success in each of those instances.
In addition, together with willing allies, the international community has dropped – airdropped food and medical supplies to Iraqi families, including the 1.8 million people who have been displaced due to ISIL’s brutality. And today I can tell you that we’ll be providing another $48 million to UN agencies, other international organizations, and NGOs that are working tirelessly to save lives and to alleviate suffering.
When the world hears from President Obama this evening, he will lay out with great specificity each component of a broad strategy in order to deal with ISIL. And in the days ahead I will be meeting with leaders from across the region and beyond in order to discuss how can we best build on the work that has already been done and to assemble the broadest possible coalition for this fight.
Nearly every country on Earth could have an ability and an interest to join in this effort, whether by providing military assistance, by helping to track and stop the flow of foreign fighters, helping to track and stop the flow of money. All of these are things that sustain ISIL’s terrorism, and all of them are things that are subject to impact by other countries in the world. Also, those countries – many others, particularly in the Muslim world, can join together in defining the real Islam and making it clear that there is no legitimacy whatsoever within ISIL for any of the claims that they make with respect to a religious foundation for their Caliphate, their state, or for their actions. It is necessary for moderate, reasonable people around the world to repudiate the distortion of Islam that ISIL seeks to spread and to contribute, as they do, to the urgent humanitarian relief effort that is required because of their barbarity.
We all have an interest in supporting the new Government of Iraq at this particular critical juncture. The coalition that’s at the heart of our global strategy, I assure you, will continue to grow and deepen in the days ahead, including at the UN General Assembly in New York later this month. And that is because the United States and the world will simply not stand by and watch as ISIL’s evil spreads. We all know – I think we come to this with great confidence that ultimately our global coalition will succeed in eliminating the threat from Iraq, from the region, and from the world. And in the doing so, we have an opportunity to build a broader coalition that can focus on lots of other challenges within this region and to prove the ability of nations to come together for common cause and to make a difference in strengthening the long-term security of all of those nations in the region and elsewhere.
So this is a moment for international cooperation to prove its value. This is a moment for multilateralism to prove its value and have its effect. This is a moment for all decent countries to come together and stand up and say to the world that we’ve had enough of these individual groups with their violent brand of distortion who seek to dominate people and coerce them, at risk of losing their life or limb, to their way of thinking. That is not what the global order or the norms of behavior have happily stood for for many, many years now, and they’re not going to start to now.
So that’s our challenge, and I’m very, very pleased with the constructive meetings that I had here in Iraq to begin this effort, to grow this coalition as rapidly as possible and put us in a position to move forward.
MS. PSAKI: The first question will be from Lara Jakes of the Associated Press.
QUESTION: Thank you. Mr. Secretary, you just outlined a list of plans the new government says it will undertake to make Iraq more inclusive. What tangible and specific assurances did you hear today to make you believe that those promises would be kept? Earlier, you also heard the prime minister say that Iraq cannot cross the border to fight the Islamic State and that he was looking to the international community and the United States for that kind of help. What --
SECRETARY KERRY: Say that last – again?
QUESTION: Right, so --
SECRETARY KERRY: Earlier?
QUESTION: You’ve heard the prime minister say that Iraq cannot cross the border to fight the Islamic State and that he was looking for the international community and the United States for that kind of help. So what kind specific and tangible assurances did you give him that the United States would provide that kind of help?
And additionally, it’s believed that American and Iranian allied forces helped break the siege of Amirli. Is the U.S. now willing to work with Iran going forward to help defeat the Islamic State?
And finally --
SECRETARY KERRY: Well, I’ve got to --
QUESTION: -- the OPCW concluded that toxic chemicals were used in attacks in northern Syria earlier this year. Do you know who is behind those attacks, and does this change anything about the U.S. strategy in Syria?
SECRETARY KERRY: Well, to answer the last part of the question first, we do not have detailed information about specifically who issued an order, as we did on August the 21st event. We do not have specific information about what entity delivered it. We have lots of circumstantial evidence, as we did prior to August 21st of last year. But there is a clear pattern of circumstantial evidence that the Assad regime writ large, with some players within that regime have been using chlorine in a form that amounts to a chemical agent, contrary to the ban under the chemical convention treaty.
So while there are indications, they are – they’re still broad and circumstantial. You can draw a conclusion from them, but at this moment we’re looking for a greater degree of detail with respect to any potential actions.
With respect to Iran and the future with respect to efforts against ISIL, Iran obviously is opposed to ISIL. And then Iran is taking its own actions and has taken its own actions with respect to ISIL. The United States does not cooperate, militarily or otherwise, nor does it have any intention in this process of doing so, with Iran. Whatever they do is collateral and on their own. And we will pursue our own coalition over the course of these next weeks.
The first part of your question was --
QUESTION: It was about what assurances did you hear from the Iraqis.
SECRETARY KERRY: Oh.
QUESTION: And what assurances did you give them?
SECRETARY KERRY: Well, every – as I said, I think, in my opening comments, every single leader that I talked to today in the strongest terms possible affirmed that they had learned lessons over these last years. Some of these leaders are – people that we know well – were opposed to things that were happening in the last years that were pulling Iraq apart. Some of them were advocating alternative actions that might have held Iraq together at an earlier stage. So we have a base of credibility, if you will, in the background and history of some of the leaders that have now come to the forefront in this new government.
But in addition, they came together organized around principle. And the fundamental principle of organization for this entire new government thus far has been we must move in a different direction from the direction that has existed in these last years. And that direction was one of sectarian division, of exploitation of divisions, of political retribution, even political arrests, political accusations. There were a host of different grievances that had built up that brought people to the brink of an utter breakdown in Iraq. And they came together determined to move to address the questions that had been left unaddressed – the oil issues, the revenue issues, the budget issues, the devolution of power, the nature of the Iraqi security forces, the rise of militias, the isolation of certain sectarian groups from the sharing of power. All of these issues are what have brought them now to a new national program that they have articulated and rearticulated and today recommitted to.
So what I know is we will get a best effort to achieve it. Can I tell you that every one of these things will happen in the next days or weeks? No, obviously I can’t do that. But I can tell you there’s a determination on their part to try to make it work, and the United States and other countries are going to be committed to work with them to help that to happen. The stakes are too high; failure is unacceptable. And that’s essentially what I heard from all of them. They know they need to succeed, and I believe they’re committed to it. And I heard that reaffirmed in many different ways today.
QUESTION: And your assurances to the Iraqi Government?
SECRETARY KERRY: Well, our assurances are that as long as they are moving in that direction, as long as they are committed to this pluralism, as long as they’re committed to diversity, as long as they’re committed to inclusivity, as long as they’re going to protect minorities within Iraq, as long as they are going to follow through on their promises, we are committed to work them and to help them in that effort – not just because we need to do that in order to fight ISIL, but because the United States has had already years of engagement and commitment and invested very, very heavily in life and in financial treasure in order to get – give Iraq the chance for this future. I think these leaders understand that and they’re committed to try to make their best efforts.
The road to democracy is never easy, but we’re going to work as hard as we can, jointly, and particularly driven by the realities of ISIL and the need for all of us to coordinate to that effect. I will say and announce now that just before I came here Prince Saud al-Faisal called me to confirm that Saudi Arabia is inviting Iraq’s foreign minister to join tomorrow in the conference in Jeddah based on the affirmations that have been made by this government to be a different government, to move in a different direction. So the possibilities are there. They – the end product is going to be up to the Government of Iraq to fulfill the aspirations and hopes of the Iraqi people. And we’ll do everything we can to try to help them do that.
MODERATOR: The final question will be from Mohammed Taleb of Al Iraqiya TV.
QUESTION: (In Arabic.)
SECRETARY KERRY: Well, as-salam alaikum. Let me say to you that President Obama is going to speak to that in a few hours, and he will lay out the details of exactly what we’re going to do. But as I said earlier and we’ve said previously, this is a broad-based comprehensive strategy that is being laid out. And it will not just be reserved to bombs or direct military assistance. It will be comprehensive with Iraqi forces on the ground in Iraq with an army that will be reconstituted and trained and worked on in terms of a number of different strategies through the help not just of the United States but of other countries also. But in – and let me emphasize: Iraq has not asked for American forces on the ground nor other forces and Iraq doesn’t want those other forces here, and we understand that.
In addition, the President of the United States and other leaders of other countries have eliminated the notion of their forces being engaged in direct combat unless, obviously, something very, very dramatic changed. That’s the way it is today, and that’s the way it’s going to be. And the President is building a strategy around that. But as you know, we support the Syrian moderate opposition. In addition, we have talked about plans to grow that support for the Syrian moderate opposition. So there are people who live in these countries who have serious commitments to opposing what is happening there, and they’ve been prepared previously over many years to put their lives on the line in order to fight for what they believe. They believe that with adequate levels of support of various kinds, they can carry that fight. And so do we – we believe that.
So you’ll see tonight from the President’s comments the breadth of each of the areas and what he intends to announce, and I think it’s appropriate for me just to have given you those general comments and then you’ll get the greater details later.
MODERATOR: Thank you, everyone.
SECRETARY KERRY: Thanks, all. Appreciate it.
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John Kerry
Secretary of State
Embassy Baghdad
Baghdad, Iraq
September 10, 2014
SECRETARY KERRY: Well, good afternoon, everybody. Let me apologize up front for, number one, being a little late, but two, because we’re running a little late and I have an important meeting in Amman, we’re going to have to be a little bit curtailed on the questions, and I apologize for that.
I really am delighted to be here today in Baghdad on the heels of such an important moment for the Iraqi people just one day after they have completed a very critical and very difficult task of forming a government. And the fact that the Iraqis were able to overcome such deep sectarian and ethnic divides and approve a new and inclusive government is really a great accomplishment.
They were able to do this – the fact that they were able to do this peacefully in the midst of unspeakable terror and violence and bloodshed is nothing short of historic. And it’s a true signal that Iraq and the leaders they have chosen are committed at this moment to the democratic future that so many Iraqis have sacrificed everything to bring about.
Obviously, the hard work is very far from over. We all know that. In many ways, it’s just beginning. Establishing a government doesn’t mean a lot if it is not able to govern effectively or doesn’t govern inclusively, and it particularly needs to govern inclusively in order to represent the interests of all the Iraqi people.
I was encouraged – very encouraged, as a matter of fact, because I’ve been here many times in many meetings, and I have never in any of those meetings seen a unanimity, without complaint, of a sense of direction and commitment to the concept of inclusivity and of addressing the unaddressed issues of the last eight years or more. I was encouraged by the commitment that I heard from all of the leaders that I met with today, but a particular clarity from Prime Minister Abadi, from President Masum, and from Speaker Jabouri.
Each of them restated their deep commitment to coming together in order to solve the immediate problems of inclusivity, of oil, of federalism, of the budget, of de-Baathification – all of those issues that have confounded Iraq for these past years and divided it. They understand the road traveled, and they understand the road they want to travel, and they don’t want to go backwards.
They all stated their commitment to the national plan, and that plan was developed specifically to address these longstanding grievances that have been an obstacle to Iraq’s prosperity and security for far too long, including, I might add, issues with respect to their security forces, the nature of those security forces, the makeup of those security forces, the inclusivity of those forces itself, the regional autonomy issues, the devolution of power, questions of the constitution, and particularly the allocation of Iraq’s budget.
The national plan also calls for the establishment of locally rooted security structures that are directly integrated into the Iraqi security forces. This national guard, as it has been called, will protect the population of Iraqi cities and towns, and it will also deny space for ISIL. As it does that, it is going to be the key to guaranteeing that Iraq’s territorial integrity can be kept intact and, in fact, unthreatened.
I was also encouraged to learn today that Prime Minister Abadi is very focused on this national guard and plans to accelerate its formulation during his first cabinet meeting this week. The United States is prepared to provide technical advice and assistance in order to help the Iraqis move this very important initiative forward. Now, implementing the national plan effectively is going to require patience and it’s going to require further compromise. But it’s the only way that Iraq has any hope of actually securing the effective, inclusive government that the Iraqi people demand and deserve.
Today, President Obama asked me to come here not just to build a coalition, not just to talk to the Iraqis about the road forward here at this moment, but also to underscore to the people of Iraq that the United States will stand by them in this effort. We stand by Iraq as it continues to build a government that meets the needs of each of Iraq’s diverse communities, and we stand by them as they fight to overcome the single greatest threat that their government, their families, and their neighbors face today, and that’s ISIL.
ISIL claims to be fighting on behalf of Islam, but the fact is that its hateful ideology has nothing to do with Islam. ISIL is a manifestation of evil, a vicious terrorist organization, and it is an organization that achieves its goals only through violence, repression, and destruction. Fed by illicit funding and a stream of foreign fighters, it has seized territory and terrorized the people who live there regardless of their sect or ethnicity. There is literally no place for their barbarity in the modern world. And this is a fight that the Iraqi people must win, but it’s also a fight that the rest of the world needs to win with them. And it’s a fight the United States and the rest of the world need to support every single step of the way.
As President Obama has made clear from the beginning, a new and inclusive Iraqi Government has to be the engine of our global strategy against ISIL. And now that the Iraqi parliament has approved a new cabinet with new leaders and representation from all Iraqi communities, it’s full speed ahead. And President Obama a few hours from now will lay out his strategy for taking America, Iraq, the region, and the world forward with respect to this challenge. We need to continue to drive this strategy over these next days with intensity.
Already, we and nearly 40 other countries, even as I speak now, are already contributing military, humanitarian, and other assistance to aid the campaign against ISIL. And to date, with the help of our international partners, the United States has launched more than 150 airstrikes in order to weaken ISIL and protect the innocent people that it seeks to harm, and also to specifically help to break the siege in Amirli, to help to break the siege at the Mosul Dam and at Sinjar Mountain, with success in each of those instances.
In addition, together with willing allies, the international community has dropped – airdropped food and medical supplies to Iraqi families, including the 1.8 million people who have been displaced due to ISIL’s brutality. And today I can tell you that we’ll be providing another $48 million to UN agencies, other international organizations, and NGOs that are working tirelessly to save lives and to alleviate suffering.
When the world hears from President Obama this evening, he will lay out with great specificity each component of a broad strategy in order to deal with ISIL. And in the days ahead I will be meeting with leaders from across the region and beyond in order to discuss how can we best build on the work that has already been done and to assemble the broadest possible coalition for this fight.
Nearly every country on Earth could have an ability and an interest to join in this effort, whether by providing military assistance, by helping to track and stop the flow of foreign fighters, helping to track and stop the flow of money. All of these are things that sustain ISIL’s terrorism, and all of them are things that are subject to impact by other countries in the world. Also, those countries – many others, particularly in the Muslim world, can join together in defining the real Islam and making it clear that there is no legitimacy whatsoever within ISIL for any of the claims that they make with respect to a religious foundation for their Caliphate, their state, or for their actions. It is necessary for moderate, reasonable people around the world to repudiate the distortion of Islam that ISIL seeks to spread and to contribute, as they do, to the urgent humanitarian relief effort that is required because of their barbarity.
We all have an interest in supporting the new Government of Iraq at this particular critical juncture. The coalition that’s at the heart of our global strategy, I assure you, will continue to grow and deepen in the days ahead, including at the UN General Assembly in New York later this month. And that is because the United States and the world will simply not stand by and watch as ISIL’s evil spreads. We all know – I think we come to this with great confidence that ultimately our global coalition will succeed in eliminating the threat from Iraq, from the region, and from the world. And in the doing so, we have an opportunity to build a broader coalition that can focus on lots of other challenges within this region and to prove the ability of nations to come together for common cause and to make a difference in strengthening the long-term security of all of those nations in the region and elsewhere.
So this is a moment for international cooperation to prove its value. This is a moment for multilateralism to prove its value and have its effect. This is a moment for all decent countries to come together and stand up and say to the world that we’ve had enough of these individual groups with their violent brand of distortion who seek to dominate people and coerce them, at risk of losing their life or limb, to their way of thinking. That is not what the global order or the norms of behavior have happily stood for for many, many years now, and they’re not going to start to now.
So that’s our challenge, and I’m very, very pleased with the constructive meetings that I had here in Iraq to begin this effort, to grow this coalition as rapidly as possible and put us in a position to move forward.
MS. PSAKI: The first question will be from Lara Jakes of the Associated Press.
QUESTION: Thank you. Mr. Secretary, you just outlined a list of plans the new government says it will undertake to make Iraq more inclusive. What tangible and specific assurances did you hear today to make you believe that those promises would be kept? Earlier, you also heard the prime minister say that Iraq cannot cross the border to fight the Islamic State and that he was looking to the international community and the United States for that kind of help. What --
SECRETARY KERRY: Say that last – again?
QUESTION: Right, so --
SECRETARY KERRY: Earlier?
QUESTION: You’ve heard the prime minister say that Iraq cannot cross the border to fight the Islamic State and that he was looking for the international community and the United States for that kind of help. So what kind specific and tangible assurances did you give him that the United States would provide that kind of help?
And additionally, it’s believed that American and Iranian allied forces helped break the siege of Amirli. Is the U.S. now willing to work with Iran going forward to help defeat the Islamic State?
And finally --
SECRETARY KERRY: Well, I’ve got to --
QUESTION: -- the OPCW concluded that toxic chemicals were used in attacks in northern Syria earlier this year. Do you know who is behind those attacks, and does this change anything about the U.S. strategy in Syria?
SECRETARY KERRY: Well, to answer the last part of the question first, we do not have detailed information about specifically who issued an order, as we did on August the 21st event. We do not have specific information about what entity delivered it. We have lots of circumstantial evidence, as we did prior to August 21st of last year. But there is a clear pattern of circumstantial evidence that the Assad regime writ large, with some players within that regime have been using chlorine in a form that amounts to a chemical agent, contrary to the ban under the chemical convention treaty.
So while there are indications, they are – they’re still broad and circumstantial. You can draw a conclusion from them, but at this moment we’re looking for a greater degree of detail with respect to any potential actions.
With respect to Iran and the future with respect to efforts against ISIL, Iran obviously is opposed to ISIL. And then Iran is taking its own actions and has taken its own actions with respect to ISIL. The United States does not cooperate, militarily or otherwise, nor does it have any intention in this process of doing so, with Iran. Whatever they do is collateral and on their own. And we will pursue our own coalition over the course of these next weeks.
The first part of your question was --
QUESTION: It was about what assurances did you hear from the Iraqis.
SECRETARY KERRY: Oh.
QUESTION: And what assurances did you give them?
SECRETARY KERRY: Well, every – as I said, I think, in my opening comments, every single leader that I talked to today in the strongest terms possible affirmed that they had learned lessons over these last years. Some of these leaders are – people that we know well – were opposed to things that were happening in the last years that were pulling Iraq apart. Some of them were advocating alternative actions that might have held Iraq together at an earlier stage. So we have a base of credibility, if you will, in the background and history of some of the leaders that have now come to the forefront in this new government.
But in addition, they came together organized around principle. And the fundamental principle of organization for this entire new government thus far has been we must move in a different direction from the direction that has existed in these last years. And that direction was one of sectarian division, of exploitation of divisions, of political retribution, even political arrests, political accusations. There were a host of different grievances that had built up that brought people to the brink of an utter breakdown in Iraq. And they came together determined to move to address the questions that had been left unaddressed – the oil issues, the revenue issues, the budget issues, the devolution of power, the nature of the Iraqi security forces, the rise of militias, the isolation of certain sectarian groups from the sharing of power. All of these issues are what have brought them now to a new national program that they have articulated and rearticulated and today recommitted to.
So what I know is we will get a best effort to achieve it. Can I tell you that every one of these things will happen in the next days or weeks? No, obviously I can’t do that. But I can tell you there’s a determination on their part to try to make it work, and the United States and other countries are going to be committed to work with them to help that to happen. The stakes are too high; failure is unacceptable. And that’s essentially what I heard from all of them. They know they need to succeed, and I believe they’re committed to it. And I heard that reaffirmed in many different ways today.
QUESTION: And your assurances to the Iraqi Government?
SECRETARY KERRY: Well, our assurances are that as long as they are moving in that direction, as long as they are committed to this pluralism, as long as they’re committed to diversity, as long as they’re committed to inclusivity, as long as they’re going to protect minorities within Iraq, as long as they are going to follow through on their promises, we are committed to work them and to help them in that effort – not just because we need to do that in order to fight ISIL, but because the United States has had already years of engagement and commitment and invested very, very heavily in life and in financial treasure in order to get – give Iraq the chance for this future. I think these leaders understand that and they’re committed to try to make their best efforts.
The road to democracy is never easy, but we’re going to work as hard as we can, jointly, and particularly driven by the realities of ISIL and the need for all of us to coordinate to that effect. I will say and announce now that just before I came here Prince Saud al-Faisal called me to confirm that Saudi Arabia is inviting Iraq’s foreign minister to join tomorrow in the conference in Jeddah based on the affirmations that have been made by this government to be a different government, to move in a different direction. So the possibilities are there. They – the end product is going to be up to the Government of Iraq to fulfill the aspirations and hopes of the Iraqi people. And we’ll do everything we can to try to help them do that.
MODERATOR: The final question will be from Mohammed Taleb of Al Iraqiya TV.
QUESTION: (In Arabic.)
SECRETARY KERRY: Well, as-salam alaikum. Let me say to you that President Obama is going to speak to that in a few hours, and he will lay out the details of exactly what we’re going to do. But as I said earlier and we’ve said previously, this is a broad-based comprehensive strategy that is being laid out. And it will not just be reserved to bombs or direct military assistance. It will be comprehensive with Iraqi forces on the ground in Iraq with an army that will be reconstituted and trained and worked on in terms of a number of different strategies through the help not just of the United States but of other countries also. But in – and let me emphasize: Iraq has not asked for American forces on the ground nor other forces and Iraq doesn’t want those other forces here, and we understand that.
In addition, the President of the United States and other leaders of other countries have eliminated the notion of their forces being engaged in direct combat unless, obviously, something very, very dramatic changed. That’s the way it is today, and that’s the way it’s going to be. And the President is building a strategy around that. But as you know, we support the Syrian moderate opposition. In addition, we have talked about plans to grow that support for the Syrian moderate opposition. So there are people who live in these countries who have serious commitments to opposing what is happening there, and they’ve been prepared previously over many years to put their lives on the line in order to fight for what they believe. They believe that with adequate levels of support of various kinds, they can carry that fight. And so do we – we believe that.
So you’ll see tonight from the President’s comments the breadth of each of the areas and what he intends to announce, and I think it’s appropriate for me just to have given you those general comments and then you’ll get the greater details later.
MODERATOR: Thank you, everyone.
SECRETARY KERRY: Thanks, all. Appreciate it.
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» Electronic blackmail is worsening in Iraq.. When will the “helplessness” phase end?
» Paris.. Integrity discusses mechanisms for implementing the memorandum of understanding in the fight
» The suffering of long days... “employee mistakes” kill customers and empty their pockets
» “Ready funds and completed plans”... Delayed projects “stay in place” without implementation in Baby
» Kakai: Relations between Erbil and Baghdad are good on the outside but bad on the inside
» Attempts by a number of parliamentarians against sending money to Kurdistan failed
» The United Nations and the International Navy have to invalidate the “Khor Abdullah” agreement.. 174
» Al-Sudani: The government adopted a comprehensive and ambitious reform program
» Happy Birthday Jerry23
» Will foreign investment restore reconstruction in Iraq and reflect on economic development? Al-Mousa
» Observers: Failure to achieve the expected revenues confirms the existence of a serious deficiency i
» There are laws that have been suspended and transferred to subsequent parliamentary sessions for mor
» A deputy identifies the "hot phones" connection in Iraqi state institutions
» Parliamentary Finance: The region received 60% of its budget
» Deputy: Iraq's openness will prompt an influx of Arab and international investments
» A parliamentary move to prosecute those collaborating with Kuwait regarding Khor Abdullah
» Parliamentary calls to change the governor of the Central Bank and hold him responsible for the dete
» Al-Sudani puts dots on America's backbone: Withdraw and do not interfere in Iraqi affairs
» Documents: Iraqi parliamentarians demand the internationalization of the Federal Court’s decision re
» Parliament expected a conditional fall for the dollar to 1,450 dinars in Iraqi markets
» Within a week...more than one billion dollars in sales from the Central Bank of Iraq
» The price of the dollar fell against the dinar in the markets of Baghdad and Erbil
» Al-Sudani: We plan to be a gas exporting country, and it is time for American companies to enter the
» Director of the Prime Minister's Media Office: The Prime Minister presented Iraq's official speech a
» Stop illegal imports and media mouthpieces... belonging to speculators and corrupt people
» "Oil Price" salutes Iraq's global ambitions in the petrochemical sector
» The Minister of Water Resources directs the development of the Ashar and Khandaq rivers in Basra
» The conflict between Iraq and Kuwait fails a ministerial meeting in New York
» The Secretary-General of the United Nations describes Iraq as the bridge between the countries of th
» Al-Sudani accuses Türkiye of violating the 1973 agreement after it stopped pumping oil
» The Election Commission is afraid of political money and is talking about measures
» A bilateral council between Iraq and the Netherlands in the field of agricultural cooperation
» Sudanese Advisor: We presented a comprehensive vision towards achieving stability and development in
» Oil reveals the size of foreign workers in the fields operated in licensing rounds
» The South Korean President reveals sending an economic delegation to Iraq
» Starting the second stage of printing the curriculum
» Parliament has a full month to complete the evaluation of the ministerial cabinet
» Al-Sudani: The government adopted a comprehensive and ambitious reform program
» Tourist cities are the most important requirements for achieving development
» The presence and absence of the economic vision
» A call to contain the challenges of developing the agricultural sector
» Does politicians' use of state funds for electoral propaganda affect the choices of Iraqis?
» The Secretary-General of the United Nations confirms support for the efforts of the Iraqi government
» “Corruption and looting of money.” The Anbaris turn their backs on the provincial council ballot box
» "Incinerators and places for landfilling"... Iraq launches an international cooperation program to m
» Al-Maliki sends a message to Kuwait: Surrender to logic.. We will not allow the Federal Court to be
» "Coincidence" plays a role with the Sudanese government and strengthens public finances
» He demanded the recovery of the stolen funds.. Sudanese to the international community: We have made
» Kuwait: We consider the agreement to regulate navigation in “Khor Abdullah” with Iraq to be valid
» Al-Abadi stresses the difficulty of the political process in Iraq without Al-Sadr
» The United States confirms its support for the success of the Sudanese government’s “reform” steps.
» The federal government has not yet sent half of the wheat funds to Kurdistan Region farmers
» A Korean economic delegation will visit Iraq soon. Sudanese: The largest projects are implemented by
» Freezing the budget... What is the relationship between political money and elections in its delayed
» American concern about Iraq’s “good neighborliness”: influence is declining
» Iranian Chief of Staff: Iraq has not implemented the security agreement until now
» Iraq contracts with a Ukrainian company to develop the Okaz gas field
» Foreign Ministry: Iraq is working to complete preparations for Sudanese’s visit to Moscow
» Al-Sudani concludes his visit to New York
» The President of the Republic sends a message to the King of Saudi Arabia and confirms this matter
» Dollar exchange rates against the dinar in Iraqi markets
» The Foreign Ministers of Iraq and Russia discuss Sudanese's visit to Moscow
» Sudanese: We call on everyone to respect Iraq's sovereignty and territorial integrity
» Militia Man & Crew An economic expert explains the importance of Iraq's gold reserves
» The Minister of Resources announces the immediate implementation of the critical part of the Basra P
» Prime Minister: We call for the establishment of a regional grouping that includes the countries of
» Advisor Al-Rikabi: Al-Sudani at the United Nations calls on the world to cooperate to recover those
» Al-Sudani: The Iraqi decision is national and does not implement the wishes of America, Iran, or Tür
» Al-Sudani reveals the latest details of the cessation of the region’s oil via Turkey and clarifies t
» Saleh reveals an important “advantage” of the development path
» Al-Sudani declares Iraq's commitment to all international agreements and calls on neighboring countr
» “Before 2003”.. Al-Sudani: We do not deny the existence of relations of some political forces with c
» Al-Sudani: Within two years, we will depend on Iraqi gas to operate power stations
» Al-Sudani talks about projects that “will change the shape of Iraq” with a new and diversified econo
» Al-Sudani: We plan to be a gas exporting country, and it is time for American companies to enter the
» With the euphoria of oil...the World Bank advises Iraq to be careful with its budget and warns of a
» Al-Sudani: We are working to organize the 2023 Baghdad Conference for economic integration and regio
» Al-Sudani: There are fears among some Iraqi components about returning to the presidential system
» Al-Sudani: Fears among components about the return of the presidential system and the theft of the c
» Iraqi official: Al-Sudani asked the Iranians in New York to ease the pressure
» A parliamentarian sends an invitation to the Council of Ministers regarding Kurdistan’s debts (tweet
» Sudanese Advisor: Iraq will defend its vision on oil prices to ensure the stability of the global ec
» Al-Sudani talks about projects that “will change the shape of Iraq” with a new and diversified econo
» Artificial crises fill the pockets of corruption parties.. “Ali Baba’s Cave” is an example
» Al-Sudani from New York: The Development Road Project constitutes an effective space available for i
» The Foreign Minister talks about the Iraqi-American discussions and the reality of the agreement wit
» Fear of exploiting political money in elections
» Iraq confirms its support for multilateral dialogue within the framework of the United Nations
» Al-Sudani talks about an existential challenge in Iraq: We went through a painful experience
» International Monetary Fund: Dependence on oil and corruption threaten Iraq's future