Iraqi president: is ready to focus on improving everyday life for its people
Shafaq News/ The Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid said his country now is at peace, democratic and intent on rebuilding economic life.
Rashid told The Associated Press on Sunday that after overcoming the hardships of the past two decades, Iraq is ready to focus on improving everyday life for its people. Those hardships included years of resistance to foreign troops, violence between Sunnis and Shiites, and attacks by Islamic State group extremists who once controlled large areas, including Iraq’s second-largest city, Mosul.
“Peace and security is all over the country, and I would be very glad if you will report that and emphasize on that, instead of giving a picture of Iraq ... still (as) a war zone, which a lot of media still do,” Rashid told AP.
Rashid also asserted that most Iraqis believe the 2003 invasion of Saddam-ruled Iraq by the United States and its allies was necessary because of the “former dictator’s brutality.”
He said he believes most Iraqis, “including all sections of the society, the Kurds, the Sunni, the Christian, the Shiites, they were all against” Saddam and appreciate that the U.S. and its allies came to “save” Iraq.
“Obviously certain things did not work out as we hoped. Nobody expected Daesh (the Islamic State group) and nobody expected car bombs,” he said. “It should have been controlled right from the beginning. It should have been studied and planned out right from the beginning. I think the myth was that once Saddam is removed, Iraq becomes heaven.” The Iraqi President pointed out to AP.
The reality proved more difficult, he said, but it hasn’t weakened Iraq’s commitment to democracy.
“Even if you have conflicts and if we have arguments, it’s much better to have freedom and democracy rather than a dictatorship,” he said.
Rashid acknowledged there are still conflicts but urged Iraqis, particularly the younger generation, to be patient and have faith in the future. “We don’t have much choice but to live together ... and let our democratic election take place to represent our values,” said Rashid, a veteran Kurdish politician and former water minister after Saddam’s ouster.
Concerning the Bahghdad ties with neighbotring countries, Rashid explained that improving relations with neighbors including Iran, Syria, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Jordan is a source of strength for Iraq
He noted with pride that Iraq hosted a Mideast meeting of senior Arab lawmakers on Saturday and expressed the country’s willingness to continue serving as a mediator in now-stalled talks between regional rivals Iran and Saudi Arabia.
Rashid also promised to take a hard line on corruption.
“I admit, we did have and we still have some problems with corruption, but the government is very serious (about fighting it),” Rashid said to AP, adding that the government and the central bank are taking measures to regulate transfers out of the country to deter money laundering.
Economically, he said, Iraq is focusing on rebuilding industry and agriculture damaged by years of conflict, and developing its natural gas reserves so as not to be dependent on buying gas from neighboring countries — notably Iran.
“Iraq economically is in a sound position and probably is one of the countries in the world which (does not have) a deficit in our budget,” he said.
