President Mam Jalal: Democracy is the Solution for Middle East Issues

President of the United States: President Talabani Dedicated His Life to Freedom in Iraq
Friday, September 13, 2024, marks the anniversary of the first meeting between Presidents George W. Bush and Jalal Talabani in 2005. On September 13, 2005, President Bush welcomed the Iraqi President, Jalal Talabani, to the White House. During the meeting, the two leaders discussed several important matters concerning their respective countries. Key topics included measures to strengthen Iraq's security and stability, the advancement of its political process, the constitution, and the upcoming elections. Additionally, they explored various aspects of Iraq’s ancient and modern history.

Present at the meeting were Dick Cheney, U.S. Vice President; Condoleezza Rice, U.S. Secretary of State; Zalmay Khalilzad, U.S. Ambassador to Iraq; Nechirvan Barzani, President of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Erbil Administration; Hoshyar Zebari, Iraqi Foreign Minister; along with other senior U.S. officials including the Science and Technology Minister, Minister of State for Women’s Affairs, and the National Security Advisor.
President Talabani was the first democratically elected president of Iraq to meet with an American president. His visit to Washington and his meeting with senior U.S. officials were at the invitation of President Bush.

After their meeting, both presidents held a joint press conference, where they addressed the situation in Iraq and the broader region.
President George W. Bush’s Statement:
"I am honored to welcome the first democratically elected President of Iraq. I am proud to stand beside a courageous leader of the Iraqi people, a friend of the United States, and a testament to the power of human freedom.
President Talabani has dedicated his life to the cause of freedom in Iraq. As a lawyer, journalist, and political leader in Northern Iraq, he bravely stood up against a brutal dictator, believing that every Iraqi deserves to be free.
The dictator not only destroyed Kurdish villages but also ordered chemical attacks on Kurdish cities, while persecuting religious and ethnic minorities."
President Talabani…

On the day Saddam fell from power, it marked a day of liberation, and the United States will always be proud of leading the army of freedom. Over the past two years, the Iraqi people have shared their vision for the future. Last January, millions of Iraqis defied threats from IEDs and murderers to participate in free elections. As a result, 80% of the elected national assembly chose President Talabani, a member of the Kurdish minority, to lead the nation of Iraq.
President Talabani was congratulated on his election, and his leadership during the drafting of the constitution was highly praised. The drafting of the constitution is a historic milestone, as it safeguards fundamental freedoms, including religion, assembly, freedom of expression, and conscience. It also establishes federalism, which is crucial for protecting the diversity of a country like Iraq. The constitution declares that all Iraqis are equal before the law, regardless of race, religion, or ethnicity. The Iraqi people can take pride in the constitution, and in the upcoming election next month, they will once again have the opportunity to express their will.
The Iraqi people continue on the path to freedom, but the enemy remains dangerous and determined. The Iraqi murderers adhere to the same ideology as those who attacked the United States four years ago, and their vision for Iraq mirrors their vision for the Taliban’s Afghanistan. They were the ones who deprived girls of education and used Afghanistan as a base to plan attacks against innocent people. Their plan now is to force the U.S. out of Iraq before the Iraqi people can fully secure their freedom. They believe we will withdraw in response to violence, and they commit brutal acts, killing Iraqi children who are offered sweets and even targeting the wounded.
There is no doubt the enemy will continue their killing, but we know that they can only succeed if we lose our resolve and determination.
Mr. President…

Today, I pledge that we will not falter, and I appreciate your commitment to ensuring that Iraq takes its rightful place among the world’s democracies, with the enemies of freedom ultimately being defeated.
President Talabani and I discussed the strategy for the coming months. The U.S. will stand by the Iraqi people as they move forward in the democratic process. We are witnessing promising progress in Fallujah, Ramadi, and Mosul, where Iraqis are registering to vote.
For the first time, American forces will be on the offensive against our common enemy. Currently, joint operations between American and Iraqi forces are underway in Tal Afar and other areas, with the goal of defeating the enemy and liberating Iraq. Additionally, we are preparing more Iraqi forces to join the fight. As Iraqis increasingly gain confidence in their ability to defend themselves, we will conclude our mission and return home with honor and respect.

President Talabani will soon travel to New York to attend the United Nations General Assembly, where, for the first time, Iraq will be represented by a free government. The journey toward freedom in Iraq has required immense sacrifice, and you, more than anyone, understand that. There will be difficult times ahead, but we have no doubt that Iraq will become a democratic influence on the rest of the region. Once Iraq is a united, democratic, and federal state, the peoples of the Middle East will demand their own freedom, leading to greater peace in the region, and a more secure United States and world.
I am proud to call you my friend, Mr. President, and proud that you are our ally in this war against terror. On behalf of the American people, I want to thank you and the Iraqi people for standing by the victims of Hurricane Katrina. Welcome to the United States.
President Mam Jalal's Remarks at the Press Conference:
Thank you, Mr. President, for your kind words. I am honored to stand today side by side with the leader who liberated Iraq. It is a privilege to represent the newest democracy in the world. On behalf of the Iraqi people, I want to express our heartfelt thanks to you, Mr. President, and to the noble American people, for freeing us from one of the worst dictatorships in history.
The Iraqi people endured immense suffering under this regime, with hundreds of thousands of innocent men, women, and children buried in mass graves. We are forever grateful to you and to the United States for this liberation.
Today, there are 50 million Muslims in Afghanistan and Iraq who have been freed as a result of your courageous leadership and your decision to stand for liberty, Mr. President. We wholeheartedly agree with President Bush that democracy is the solution to the many challenges facing the Middle East.
Mr. President…

You are a statesman with a vision, and we greet you with gratitude. We will never forget what you have done for our nation.
We have engaged in fruitful discussions, and I am proud to say, both publicly and repeatedly, that we are partners with the United States in the fight against tyranny and terrorism and in the pursuit of democracy. This is a truth we proudly share here, in Iraq, at the United Nations, and everywhere else: the Iraqi people are allies of the U.S. in the war against terror. Our soldiers stand shoulder to shoulder with your brave troops every day.
We have arrested many Al-Qaeda members and eliminated numerous threats; many of them are now in our prisons. With your support, Mr. President, we can protect ourselves from these elements and solidify our position as a democratic state within the international community. We uphold various freedoms, including freedom of expression and the right to assemble as civil society. We can confidently assert that our democracy is unique in the Middle East.
Our strategy is to build and defend democracy while continuously improving our tactics. We are making progress in the security sector; many areas previously under terrorist control have been liberated. As we move toward new elections, regions once known as strongholds of Al-Qaeda are now recognized as part of Iraq. People are beginning to confront and fight terrorism. Sunni Arab tribes are actively engaging in the fight against terrorism, and residents in Tal Afar are cooperating with Iraqi forces to combat this threat. This is a positive sign that our people are starting to see terrorism as an enemy of the Iraqi people, as much as it is an enemy of the United States.
Terrorists target the innocent, including children and students, and they destroy mosques, husayniyyas, and every place of significance. Despite this, we are making gradual progress. For instance, last year, Fallujah resembled a battlefield rather than an Iraqi town, whereas Fallujah is now undergoing reconstruction and is governed by an elected committee and governor.

We acknowledge the ongoing security challenges and do not overlook them; we are actively fighting Al-Qaeda. The recent battle in Tal Afar demonstrates that the enemy is weakening and losing morale. The victory in Tal Afar was achieved relatively easily, allowing us to liberate the town from terrorist control.
Those who call themselves jihadis seek to impose oppression and dictatorship in its most extreme forms on our society and our people. Therefore, they are not just enemies of Iraq; they are enemies of humanity, true adversaries of Islam, and foes of the peoples of the Middle East. Together with our friends and partners, we will defeat them.
The American and international presence in Iraq is crucial for fostering democracy and preventing foreign intervention in our internal affairs. Mr. President, we do not intend to establish a timetable for withdrawal. Setting a timetable only aids the terrorists, encouraging them to believe they can defeat the world’s superpowers.
We hope that by the end of 2006, our security forces will be ready to assume responsibility from U.S. forces, and we will do this in complete agreement with our American partners. We do not want to take any action that might signal to the terrorists that our resolve to defend ourselves is weakening.
We are proud that there will come a day when U.S. forces can return home with dignity, and we will thank them for their friendship and express our gratitude for the sacrifices made by the American people in Iraq. I believe that a great nation like the United States has a historic mission. The American people have lost thousands of their sons in the First and Second World Wars and in efforts to liberate the peoples of the Balkans, Afghanistan, and Kurdistan.

Great leaders like George W. Bush carry on this mission, the mission of the American people. We are thankful to the Americans for their humility and for the sacrifices they have made, not just in Iraq but everywhere.
We also need our neighbors—at least some of them—to stop attacking Iraqi democracy. We ask them to join us in the fight against terrorism, as we are all brothers in this struggle. We urge them to halt the official media narratives that support terrorism. It is essential for them to stand by our side, as terrorism is the enemy of all Arab and Islamic states around the world.
We remain grateful to all those who have supported us in our fight to build a democratic Iraq, and you, Mr. President, are foremost among them. We thank you for your noble mission.

There has also been significant political progress in Iraq. We have distanced weapons from politics, and for the first time, peaceful dialogue is taking place without resorting to violence. The majority of Iraqis are committed to the political process. Iraq is a diverse country, and we are resolving our disputes through peaceful means. We have also agreed on a draft constitution, which, while not perfect, I believe is one of the best in the Middle East.
Of course, there are still challenges and unresolved issues, but we are making progress in various sectors—economic, commercial, educational, and political. We remain hopeful that we will continue receiving support from the United States, as well as our friends in the Arab world and Europe.
It is clear that we are a young democracy, yet the draft constitution guarantees rights and equality for every Iraqi before the law, regardless of sex, religion, or ethnicity. The constitution embodies many checks and balances, and we believe it is the best constitution in the region—though we hope our claim is justified.
We are actively reaching out to Iraqi citizens who could not participate in previous elections, particularly our Arab Sunni brothers. We have initiated dialogues with them. The Kurdistan Alliance and the Iraqi United Coalition secured 228 votes, but we are committed to including our Sunni brothers in the government. We have elected a Sunni Arab as vice president, appointed two deputy prime ministers from the Sunni community, and the president of the National Assembly is also a Sunni. Additionally, the ministers of defense and industry are Sunnis.

This diversity encourages unity among all Iraqis, and we urge everyone to participate in the peaceful political process, express their opinions, and feel free to criticize the government, the president, the prime minister, and the ministers. They can voice their ideas through the democratic process, articulating their slogans and demands. While this constitution is not perfect and remains incomplete, it can be adjusted in the future if the Iraqi people desire it. Nonetheless, we are proud to have such a document compared to others.

Some of our Sunni Arab brothers face threats from terrorism, and we are making every effort to protect them from violence. For those in the United States and other countries who question whether the war in Iraq was justified, I encourage them to visit the mass graves and witness the suffering endured by the Iraqi people. They should see the progress being made in Iraq today. To those who speak of stability, I remind them that Saddam's regime perpetuated the existence of mass graves, and to the terrorists, I say that we will not achieve our freedom while you remain in Iraq.