Established in 2006 as a Community of Reality

Welcome to the Neno's Place!

Neno's Place Established in 2006 as a Community of Reality


Neno

I can be reached by phone or text 8am-7pm cst 972-768-9772 or, once joining the board I can be reached by a (PM) Private Message.

Join the forum, it's quick and easy

Established in 2006 as a Community of Reality

Welcome to the Neno's Place!

Neno's Place Established in 2006 as a Community of Reality


Neno

I can be reached by phone or text 8am-7pm cst 972-768-9772 or, once joining the board I can be reached by a (PM) Private Message.

Established in 2006 as a Community of Reality

Would you like to react to this message? Create an account in a few clicks or log in to continue.
Established in 2006 as a Community of Reality

Many Topics Including The Oldest Dinar Community. Copyright © 2006-2020


    Interview of the President of the Republic with Al-Hurra TV, Iraq

    Rocky
    Rocky
    Admin Assist
    Admin Assist


    Posts : 280892
    Join date : 2012-12-21

    Interview of the President of the Republic with Al-Hurra TV, Iraq Empty Interview of the President of the Republic with Al-Hurra TV, Iraq

    Post by Rocky Sat 11 Mar 2023, 4:12 am

    [size=46]Interview of the President of the Republic with Al-Hurra TV, Iraq[/size]
    Iraq
    12:06 - 2023-03-11
    [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
    The President of the Republic, Dr. Abd al-Latif Jamal Rasheed, gave an interview to Al-Hurra TV channel, Iraq, in which he touched on a number of topics of interest. The following is the text of the interview: Al-Hurra:

    Welcome, followers of the Bel-Iraqi program, Ali Al-Zubaidi. This time from Baghdad and a private meeting with His Excellency the Iraqi President, Dr. Abdul Latif Jamal Rashid, here in the Baghdad Palace.
    Mr. President, welcome and thank you for hosting.
    The President of the Republic: Thank you, and welcome.

    Al-Hurra: Your Excellency, we start with your Excellency on the issue of the stages of the presidency in Iraq. They differed from the days of President Mam Jalal, may God have mercy on him, until today. How do you see the current stage, how do you describe it, and how is it different?
    The President of the Republic: I imagine that the previous stages did not differ from the current stage, perhaps the terms or the person in the position differ, and the President of the Republic, the Prime Minister and the rest of the positions are elected according to the Iraqi constitution, but Iraq is witnessing good stability now, and there is cooperation and coordination between the blocs, parties and political figures and between them and The Iraqi government and the Presidency of the Republic, and perhaps this is the great difference in this period and previous periods. We thank God that the Iraqis enjoy a kind of peace and stability, and this encourages us to strengthen meetings and joint coordination among us to discuss state matters.
    Al-Hurra: Your Excellency, you worked for years in the opposition and now you work at the head of state in Iraq. How is the experience of the opposition different from the current period and how can we benefit from the experience of the opposition?
    The President of the Republic: The difference is radical and great, because we were abroad, as opposition to the totalitarian dictatorial government was not allowed inside the country, and for this reason most of our activities were outside Iraq and some cases in regional countries, but our real activity was in European countries, and we had continuous meetings with the interior and different places Especially in the Kurdish issue, as most of the Kurdish parties had roots inside Iraqi Kurdistan, and some other Iraqi parties had roots inside Iraq, and contacts were continuing to work to meet the demands of the Iraqi people, and the main demand is democracy for Iraq and the end of the dictatorial regime, as well as for the Kurdish people who demand rule Autonomy and governance of the Kurdistan region.

    Al-Hurra: On the point of opposition, thinking about the opposition period is fundamentally different from ruling as your Excellency said. Now there are those who say that some parties, blocs and personalities in the political process are still thinking about the opposition theory. Do you agree with this?
    The President of the Republic: Everyone has the right to think as he wants, but in my opinion, most of the Iraqi people are satisfied with the change in Iraq, and we hope to prove security and stability, so that Iraqis can enjoy freedom through elections, voting, and the media to express their opinion, and through coordination with the government and the Presidency of the Republic, and through It is possible that there are differences, but I do not consider them opposition, but rather a difference in viewpoints.

    Al-Hurra: One of the challenges that we have been talking about for years in Iraq is the security challenge. Now there is great progress on the security level with the testimony of people and Iraqi officials. Today, Your Excellency, how do you see this file? Do we still suffer from some security gaps in some areas?
    The President of the Republic: First of all, the security aspect is very important. I believe that security and stability come first. No one expects the implementation of any government program if security and stability do not exist. Therefore, our main focus in Iraq at the present time is to establish security and stability in Iraq. Going back a bit, we suffered from a dictatorial regime for a long time, and the dictatorial regime did not give room for freedom or for the Iraqi individual to express his opinion, and these were repressive (policies), and the security authority (at that time) was in control of the capabilities and aspirations of the Iraqi people. , which led to a big difference between the regime and the attitudes of the Iraqi people. After the regime change in Iraq in 2003, we unfortunately suffered from other problems. The problem of terrorism inside Iraq, explosions, killings, and in some cases imprisonment, and sometimes the control of large groups that were present in some provinces, and we suffered after a period of harshness and violence of ISIS terrorism that controlled large areas of Iraq, and (caused) harm to people, not only individuals, but groups of people. Now we have problems dealing with their results, because of the bombing of their places and the torture and killing of innocent people until now we are looking for them, in the thousands and not one or two, and this frankly led to a kind of apprehension about the security situation in Iraq.

    Al-Hurra: There are still pockets appearing in the Nineveh Plain and in Tal al-Shay!  
    The President of the Republic: Very few. Praise be to God, the Iraqi army, along with other security forces, controls the situation in these cases. Terrorist operations in any country cannot be controlled 100 percent, and the issue is that some of them are only for theft or assaulting people. They do not have any political or social goal, except The impact on the groups in terms of living and social is present, but very few. And I imagine that the Iraqi armed forces, in addition to the popular crowd and the Peshmerga, are in control of the situation in general, on the borders and in the areas in which they were entering. We dealt with that well, but from time to time, and not continuously and significantly, there are some cases, but we are in control of them.

    Al-Hurra: After 2003, we became accustomed to the Iraqi president being the stewards’ egg or a confidant of points of view on the political level between the different blocs, whether Sunnis, Shiites or Kurds, if we want to call these names, or if we want to call them by the different blocs only. I want to ask, Mr. President, how do you see your role today in bringing points of view together, and where does the challenge lie?
    The President of the Republic: First, this responsibility is a great responsibility, and I believe it is not only the duty of the President of the Republic. It is the duty of all officials and all leaders of political blocs to bring points of view closer. I disagree with different points of view on some issues. This is necessary and healthy for any society, but against conflicts within parties or Iraqi society. I am against conflicts, but with legitimate competition in this field, and this is our duty, the duty of Parliament, the duty of the government, the duty of the presidency, and my duty to bring views closer, and we hope that we will be successful in this responsibility, as I believe that the convergence of views during the last period is very great. As a result of the elections that took place in Iraq, the formation of the government and the selection of the President of the Republic took a long time, but it was a useful period for exchanging views between political parties and blocs in order to reach the best formula for Iraq. This is what we enjoy. We are still in a period where we need coordination and cooperation between the political blocs and other parties.

    Al-Hurra: Where does the challenge lie in bringing points of view together? As your Excellency prefers it, we have stayed a year or more than a year on the issue of forming the government, and some problems are still pending, such as the issue of the budget and many issues. How do you see the challenge and where do you see it?
    Some, with different points of view, this is present in all countries of the world, you notice sometimes in European countries that the ruling party with the opposition differ in everything and oppose everything, but the main goal is the interest of the country before everything and we, at the present time, are our interest Before everything. I divide it into three topics, the first is the focus on security and stability, and the second is the consultation between the political blocs. Praise be to God, we do not have a shortage of nationalities in Iraq, nor in the different trends in Iraq with the convergence of points of view. This is a blessing and health for society. Another very important point is the implementation of the government's program, which focuses on two points, first, providing services. We admit and everyone knows that we have a shortage in providing services in Iraq. We have suffered for a long time from conflicts, wars, and even internal and external problems, so no attention has been paid to them. . Another point is that we are in Iraq for nearly three years without an effective budget, and the budget is necessary, which means that the investment section of the state budget is not ready for spending, we only have an operational budget. Another point I want to focus on. Now the government is almost ready to submit the budget to Parliament and open the budget to the ministries and concerned authorities to dispose of it. The government program focuses on two important points, firstly providing services, secondly improving the infrastructure, and this may take a longer period than providing services.

    Al-Hurra: We go back to the year in which the formation of the government and reaching consensus was delayed, and the argument that was raised was the controversy of a consensual government, or a partnership or majority government. Where do you stand in this argument?
    The President of the Republic: I have no problem with these objections to the idea or this type of government, but the most important thing we put forward to the Iraqi people, and we have a parliament that they approve of, is the form of government, so that it is always according to the instructions in the Iraqi constitution. You cannot demand the agreement of all the Iraqi people. Now our souls are forty million, so not everyone will agree on everything, but we must work through freedom above all, and secondly, different points of view exist, and thirdly, through elections, we must decide these things and not impose them, because we do not have one party that imposes a way of ruling The state is like this. Rather, we have a parliament and elections, and everyone is free to enter the electoral process or not, and decisions are usually taken by the majority, sometimes by an absolute majority, and sometimes by two-thirds of the members of Parliament, and they present them to the government, and the government is formed on the basis of agreement.The current government in Iraq is the result of a vote by parliament and the nomination of the prime minister according to the Iraqi constitution.
    Al-Hurra: I also want to ask about the issue of dialogue, rapprochement, and the creation of a spirit of listening to the other. We not only speak, but we learn to listen, and this is what is said that this is politics. There are some political parties that chose to leave the political process, and I am talking here about the Sadrist movement. There is a conversation with the Sadrists. Is there still a Sadrist movement for you that should participate in the political process and return to the political house?
    The President of the Republic: I do not imagine that there are political blocs in Iraq that prevent any other bloc from participating in governance, and it is permissible for the Sadrist movement, with all due respect to them, they left parliament, but they are inside the state and not outside it, because they have officials within the state apparatus and with all respect they are qualified and present and express their their opinions and attitudes. This freedom exists and it cannot impose a ban on people leaving the political process. On the contrary, this is a result of freedom and nothing was imposed on them. This is their will, proposal and decision.
    Al-Hurra: Welcome to the second part again, in this special episode of the Bel-Iraqi program, which we present to you from Baghdad, and the special meeting with His Excellency the Iraqi President, Dr. Abdul Latif Jamal Rashid. Welcome again.
    Your Excellency, before returning to the questions, we met a group of viewpoints or some of the demands of the Iraqis in Tahrir Square. A question was asked by one of the citizens, when will Iraq have a status similar to that of neighboring countries, specifically in the matter of welfare?
    The President of the Republic: I did not specifically understand this question, which status and which country, for comparison. I now believe that Iraq's role is good, and I personally met most of the leaders of the countries of the region and even the leaders of European countries, and all of them express their feeling of satisfaction with the current situation in Iraq, as well as with the freedom that exists. in Iraq. I imagine (it) rarely exists in some other countries in terms of expression of opinion and freedom in the media and in terms of writing articles, actions, travel, transportation and visits. I believe that the freedom that exists in Iraq does not exist in some other countries.
    Al-Hurra: Your Excellency, with freedom, there are still some challenges. Freedom is guaranteed in the state, but it faces some challenges. Not all people can express their opinion without being subjected to various types of arrest, absence or targeting.
    This point is very important. Our oil imports are good at the present time, but we have a big problem. As a result of negligence, wars and problems inside Iraq, we have almost neglected the entire private sector. We do not have an active private sector until we find and choose places for university graduates or for those who do not have a job. Some of them suffer. And they expect this to be their right. Every Iraqi individual considers the state to be the source of his strength, and this is an economic problem that exists in Iraq. We are our government program. We hope, on the basis of after approving the budget, that we will be very interested in the private sector, as well as start forming Iraqi companies or in partnership with others to implement large projects, and I In my opinion, it will open a large field. We may not solve everyone's problems, but it will open a very large field. I am with those who do not have a job or who do not receive a salary, and with university graduates. We now have about 200 universities in Iraq, and every year large numbers of students graduate. I am with those who do not have a job or who do not receive a salary, and with university graduates. We now have about 200 universities in Iraq, and every year large numbers of students graduate. I am with those who do not have a job or who do not receive a salary, and with university graduates. We now have about 200 universities in Iraq, and every year large numbers of students graduate.

    Al-Hurra: Your Excellency, we are talking about the fact that 800,000 graduates enter the Iraqi labor market annually, which is a large number. People in the end want to work. If the state does not provide job opportunities or is unable to fully provide job opportunities, then the private sector can carry a part, what Who prevented this from being achieved?
    The President of the Republic: There is no country in the world that can appoint all the people (in government institutions), but the private sector has not prevented some things. First, as I said, our budget so far and for a period of 3 years has not been implemented. Another point is that there were security problems a while ago, and now there are no problems so now the door is open. In my opinion, after ratification of the budget, God willing, we will go through a new phase in Iraq, encouraging the private sector, encouraging companies to build the infrastructure of Iraq and making room for appointments for students and non-students. Another very important point. Almost our agriculture in Iraq has stopped, and this also has a great impact. Moreover, environmental problems exist and shortages in some other matters such as factories and laboratories are all stopped in Iraq. We do not have production. We import most of our needs from abroad, knowing that we can build factories for each Our needs inside Iraq.

    Al-Hurra: If the income is not available, what are the alternatives? The young man or woman will resort to other methods, and this is indispensable to us. Your Excellency, there is also a point. Investment and focus on the private sector, and replacing what we import with what we produce or even export in various sectors except for the oil sector also collide with an ongoing issue, and all Iraqis are talking about it, which is the file of corruption. Today, corruption files in Iraq, how do you follow them in the Presidency of the Republic, and is there progress in the anti-corruption file?
    The President of the Republic: I think no one disagrees with you. Most of the empires in the world have failed or ended as a result of corruption, and some governments have failed or been absent from power as a result of corruption. I agree with you. We had widespread corruption in Iraq. We are suffering from some of it so far, but the government is serious about its steps. I hope that you will follow the news of the recent period. Every day there are solutions to corruption and some issues related to corruption. We announce and publish them. The current government's steps are serious and good in combating corruption. But as you know, corruption needs a long period of time, not just financial corruption, for example, the corruption of working hours and the corruption of absence from a job. Disguised unemployment is part of corruption. I believe (that dealing with these matters) is within the government’s program, and our hope is based on the need for this issue because it has become a popular demand. For the Iraqi people.

    Al-Hurra: Your Excellency, any Iraqi official who mentions that there are consequences and that there is a legacy, whether in corruption or in the lack of services. I always ask this question to officials, and I ask your Excellency, where do we start so that the next government does not come and say this is the legacy of the previous government?
    The President of the Republic: No, we have started and the files are in the hands of the special services for follow-up, and every day you see a list of names linked to corruption.

    Al-Hurra: The government always says that it has the desire and ability to confront corruption?
    The President of the Republic: I think now there is a very great desire, and we have the ability to eliminate corruption, but we need the cooperation of all political parties in this regard.

    Al-Hurra: I remember two or three years ago President Barham Salih was at the United Nations and called on the international community to establish an alliance like the coalition against terrorism, an alliance to combat corruption and recover Iraq's smuggled or looted money, as he put it abroad. Where did these efforts reach?
    The President of the Republic: There are, and even those accused of corruption were in countries outside Iraq and there are attempts to bring them back, but I cannot give you all the details. There are serious moves by the government to fight corruption and even to prevent corruption and recover money.
    But as you know, these matters need a long period because they are related to the courts and state systems, and the scrutiny and investigation of these issues.
    Al-Hurra: One of the challenges, and we do not prefer this term, but it is really a challenge, and it is the issue of climate change and the water file, and we will take it file by file. Your Excellency always speaks and works to raise awareness of the danger of climate change to Iraq and the Iraqis. Is it correct to say or reduce the risks of climate change in Iraq?
    The President: This is the very point, the task of climate change, the environment and water has a great impact on any society in the world. Now I am very happy that there is global interest in these issues, and I personally will go to New York soon to attend a conference on water.. Regarding Iraq, let's talk step by step. Regarding climate change, this cannot be controlled, but there are steps that must be taken to mitigate or reduce the effects of climate.

    Hurra: What's wrong?
    The President of the Republic: The impediment is that there must be an agreement between the two parties or between the riparian countries, and each country has its own conditions that must be agreed upon. For us, our terms are explicitly reasonable, technically and scientifically, and are the result of long studies.

    Al-Hurra: Your Excellency, many of the public do not know that your Excellency has a technical and advisory specialty in the field of water.
    The President of the Republic: I was for a long time Minister of Water Resources, and during this period we reached the signing of memorandums of understanding between Iraq and the Islamic Republic, as well as between Iraq and Turkey, and we reached positive results, but unfortunately, as a result of the problems that occurred, especially the issue of ISIS, they had a great impact on water policy in Iraq. Now we have three problems in Iraq, and solutions must be linked with these existing problems. The first problem is that we sometimes suffer from drought as a result of climatic changes, and this is not in our hands.

    Al-Hurra: Even the recent rains that fell in southern Samarra had a problem, as it did not fall in the areas that needed it.
    The President of the Republic: Yes, this is a problem because it is outside our control. The second problem is the actions or policies of regional countries, for example, currently Turkey also needs water more than before and the Islamic Republic as well.

    Al-Hurra: But the water that enters Iraq through Iran has now reached zero percent.
    The President of the Republic: A minute. First, Turkey has built a large number of dams and they store large amounts of water to generate electric power. We do not mind if they care about their country and build dams and lakes. We do not mind and their souls are much more than before, but what we want is a fair share Iraq has water, in addition to the necessity of giving us a clear scientific idea of ​​the method of operating water in Turkey so that we can know and build our programs in light of it. We do not have a problem with drinking water, but we do have a problem with (scarcity) water for agriculture and irrigation in the agricultural season and the irrigation season, so we asked Turkey to give Iraq a sufficient amount of water for agriculture and the marshes and to fill our lakes. This is what we asked of them.. Another important point for us. For Iraq, which is that we must improve the management of water resources, we have a great waste, and I am the first person to admit this.

    Al-Hurra: The Turkish side says we are handing Iraq a sufficient amount of water, but there is waste on the Iraqi side.
    The President of the Republic: Their words are 50% correct, they do not always give us a sufficient share, but in terms of waste their words are correct and I do not oppose them, and we must frankly in the negotiations to reach positive results in this regard, we have waste in water and we have waste in the fish ponds on the Tigris rivers And the Euphrates, as well as the method of using irrigation, as it is an old method that wastes large quantities of water.. As for the Islamic Republic, the same issue, we want to know their behavior on the tributaries of the Tigris, as well as the Karun and Karkheh rivers to the Shatt al-Arab.

    Al-Hurra: Does Iraq need to internationalize this file, or does the solution exist in Iraq and a solution can be reached with Turkey and Iran?
    The President of the Republic: We hope to reach a solution, but you asked that Iraq has not yet signed agreements with the support of the United Nations or political parties. The United Nations has so far given us recommendations and they do not have clear laws to control the distribution of water. In short, we are asking the Islamic Republic of Iran Likewise, the Republic of Turkey gives Iraq a fair share of water, as well as the operational line that they use for water and take into account our needs in Iraq.

    Al-Hurra: Doctor, a few days ago, you met with the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, here in Baghdad, and there was talk about the issue of the United Nations' continuous support for the file of the displaced. Your Excellency, when will this file end? And why, until now, does Iraq still have displaced people who live hundreds of kilometers from their areas of origin?
    The President of the Republic: I agree with you that it is a problem that must be ended and dealt with, with all frankness I say it, and our conversation with the Secretary-General of the United Nations was about this and other issues, and I gave the impression that the United Nations until now was thinking that the security situation in Iraq is not at the required level, I explained everything to him Things are in Iraq, I mean almost every province. And I gave him the impression that the security situation in Iraq now is good, and they are now supposed to take into account this new situation frankly and work inside Iraq with this new formula and not with the previous formula and on the basis that security does not exist. In terms of the displaced, we must address this issue. Most of the displaced are the result of the cruelty and violence of ISIS in Iraq, but what happened explicitly is that it is the responsibility of the United Nations to build their places of residence so that the displaced can return to them. Unfortunately, and with all due appreciation, there was a shortcoming in this matter, as they did not build those places.

    Al-Hurra: Why isn't the Iraqi government building it?
    The President of the Republic: Because the places were a little complicated as a result of political and economic interventions, but they reached a formula called (Sinjar Agreement) and they applied it in a good way, but frankly there was no serious enthusiasm for the implementation of this agreement, and when I went and saw that until now not even a single house had been built. I was amazed, and I asked them about the reasons, but I was not convinced with their answers. Except for visits and writing reports, nothing was clear. Now they have begun.
    Al-Hurra: There are mutual accusations about the issue of the Sinjar Agreement and why it was not implemented. There are those who accuse the region, and on the other hand, there are those from the region who accuse...
    The President of the Republic: I spoke with the regional government and the political parties and blocs there, and all of them are ready to implement and apply the provisions of the Sinjar Agreement, but their answer was the same, which is where these displaced people will return to, and they have no homes to return to. Therefore, they remain in their tents, and the problem also remains. If their homes are not built, the problem will not be solved. Unless they have homes, where will they live?

    Al-Hurra: This is the paradox, Your Excellency, that the Iraqi state cannot. Your Excellency says that all parties agree that it must be implemented.
    The President of the Republic: The United Nations and its organizations are the ones who received the file, and I said at the beginning that the situation between the center and the region is in good shape and there is coordination, cooperation and exchange of views between them. Unfortunately, this issue did not exist for a long time, so this problem remained, but now we have taken good steps, frankly. Our follow-up now is almost on a daily or weekly basis, and God willing, we will reach good results, and they have begun construction, and the budget for housing construction is with the United Nations and with the Iraqi government.
    Al-Hurra: Your Excellency, at the contact group conference in Azerbaijan a few days ago, you mentioned that Iraq aspires to become a unifying force for good and bridge the gap between regional powers. Iraq's role is in bringing regional views closer in particular. I am speaking between the Arabs and Iran. How do you see it?
    The President of the Republic: This is our hope because the stability of Iraq is linked to the stability of the region, and our hope is to try to solve our problems in the region. Without any reservations, there are problems in some countries in the region. There are problems in Syria, Yemen and Lebanon. There are problems in most countries, and we also have some. Security problems with Turkey, I mean until now the Turkish forces, the army and the military are present in Iraqi Kurdistan, and these problems must be solved through negotiations, coordination and cooperation. Therefore, this is our role and we have readiness. For example, several times there were meetings between Iraq, Jordan and Egypt in terms of security, economic and trade, and a meeting between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia and Iran are at Baghdad's table, and all of these things are proof that we have a role to play in solving problems. Another point, my experience with the leaders of the Arab countries that I met in Algeria, all of them want an important role for Iraq and a pivotal role, as well as coordination and cooperation with other countries to solve problems.

    Al-Hurra: These days, Your Excellency, witnessing the twentieth anniversary of regime change in Iraq and the invasion of Iraq in 2003. To what extent, in your view, have you achieved what you aspired to when you look at what was before 2003 and today?
    The President of the Republic: As for the opposition, as I said, its main goal was to end the dictatorship in Iraq. This was the main slogan for the opposition. Unfortunately, most of the opposition parties did not have a good perception of the cruelty of the dictatorship on the Iraqi people and the impact of the blockade on them. When we returned, we noticed many problems. Inside Iraq, first of all, they did not know the main objectives of the opposition abroad, but there was no objection to regime change. Everyone has so far agreed on this point, but other details. The occupation of Iraq, and this is a fundamental difference between the two parties, and the occupation remained for a long time. Secondly, in all respects, we did not implement the main program of the Iraqi opposition.
    Al-Hurra: You mean the main program that was agreed upon in the opposition conferences?
    The President of the Republic: Yes, in Erbil and then in London, we worked on some of the files in terms of economy, education and democracy, but unfortunately they did not apply them, and changes occurred even in American policy, meaning after 2003 the Pentagon was in control of matters.
    Hurra: You mean J Garner's stage?
    The President of the Republic: Yes, after that we wanted to form a national government from the beginning instead of keeping the political and social influence on the situation in Iraq. These were some differences, but I am assured that the Iraqi people were almost 100% with the change of the dictatorial regime in Iraq, as it brought great problems to Iraq, first the internal fighting of the Kurdish movements or the Kurdish revolution, secondly its dealings with the countries of the region, thirdly the war with Iran for a long time That war that harmed all Iraqi society and every Iraqi family, followed by the subjugation of Kuwait, and then the challenge of United Nations resolutions, and (that) led to the attack on Iraq by the international community. All of these problems had a great impact, and the economic situation previously was good in Iraq. Iraq, historically and socially, was one of the developed countries in the region.

    Al-Hurra: Well, Your Excellency, I do not want to cross this point. Why did you return as an opposition after 2003? It seems from your Excellency's words that you were surprised by some of the results that came as a result of the dictatorship. Does this mean that there is a separation from the Iraqi reality? And you did not know what was happening in Iraq?
    The President of the Republic: No, there was no separation. We sometimes heard news of Iraq, but you know that the totalitarian regime that was in Iraq prevented movement. During the period of the totalitarian regime, we had about 4 million refugees outside Iraq. Our problem was greater than we expected. From the news and analyzes we received about Iraqi society, our problem was very big, first of all, fighting the regime and focusing on the existing Iraqi refugees. Did you know that in the Islamic Republic of Iran we had about 3 million refugees? And Iraq was isolated from the world, and you must remember Bazoft who killed him, a journalist who came and took pictures, so they killed him and called him a spy. These are the problems that existed, which means preventing the leakage of any news from Iraq.
    Al-Hurra: Well, Your Excellency, every president has a footprint that he wants to leave in the presidency and a legacy in which the world and his countrymen remember him. What is the legacy that Abdul Latif Jamal Rashid wants to leave?
    The President of the Republic: Frankly, I want, and my focus is on consolidating security and stability in Iraq, and to give a free life, from an economic point of view, and from a cultural point of view, a high level. This is my hope and goal in Iraq.
    Al-Hurra: Would you like to add something, Mr. President?
    The President of the Republic: Frankly, the Iraqi people suffered a lot, knowing that they previously lived in luxury, but for several years they suffered a lot, so I believe that security, stability and prosperity for the Iraqi people are very necessary, and our hope is that their future will be good, enjoying prosperity, freedom and democracy.

    Al-Hurra: His Excellency President Dr. Abdul Latif Jamal Rashid. This is all that time allows with your Excellency. I wish we were in longer hours with you. Thank you, Your Excellency, for your time and for this meeting.
    President of the Republic: You are welcome.

    [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

      Current date/time is Sat 16 Nov 2024, 2:30 pm