Iraqi President: We Will Not Permit Attack on Other Political Systems From Within Iraq

Bloomberg

Iraqi President Abdullatif Jamal Rashid's interview with Bloomberg.

Iraqi President Abdullatif Jamal Rashid announced that they will not permit anyone from within Iraq to attack or undermine other political systems and that Iraq still faces interference from Turkish troops in the Kurdistan Region.

In an interview with Bloomberg, President Rashid said: "Unfortunately, we still face interference from Turkish troops in the Kurdistan Region. We appeal to the Turkish government to end this interference."

He added: "This remains a concern in our politics, and we will not allow any foreign interference in our sovereignty. At the same time, we will not permit anyone from within Iraq to attack or undermine other political systems."

Regarding the election of President Trump as the President of the United States, he said that his election will have an effect on the Middle East and the world, pointing out: "We all hope that he will achieve what he has stated in resolving the turmoil and problems globally."

Speaking about Iraq's rise from terrorism and war, he stated: "Until a few years ago, Iraq suffered from war, conflicts, terrorism, invasions and occupations. I am pleased to say that peace and stability have been established in Iraq, allowing us to focus on improving services, addressing infrastructure needs and enhancing the quality of life for the Iraqi people."

Speaking about Syria, President Rashid pointed out: "Syria is an important country in the Middle East. In addition to Iraq, it shares long borders with Türkiye, Jordan and Lebanon. Any conflict in Syria affects all its neighboring countries."

He said: "Over a long period, the regime of Bashar Al-Assad ignored not only the will of the Syrian people but also the advice of friendly countries to resolve its issues. From our side, we tried very hard to convince him to address the conflict with the Syrian population."

"In Syria, which is a multinational, multicultural and multiethnic country, we hope the new administration will resolve the conflict, enabling peace and prosperity for all its diverse communities," he added.

He further stated: "There is a great deal of friendship between us and the Syrians. Whenever there is a threat to security in Syria, we are affected, and whenever there is a threat in Iraq, the Syrians are affected. For thousands of years, we have lived together."

Regarding borders with Syria and concerns from terrorism, he said: "We have sent clear messages. Syria has been surrounded by terror and terrorism. On the border, we are concerned that large groups of terrorists continue to live and operate there."

As for Iran, President Rashid noted that Iran is an important and large neighbor to Iraq. Iraqis and Iranians have lived together for centuries. 

He said: "Iran cannot be ignored by Iraq and Iraq cannot be ignored by Iran. Both countries have numerous nationalities and communities that are closely linked, regardless of religion, nationality or social standing. Historically, both countries have exchanged visitors, traded goods and maintained dialogue."

He added: "We aim to establish strong relationships with all our neighbors and I am glad to say that we have achieved this. However, we emphasise Iraq’s independence for the benefit of the Iraqi people."

Regarding Iraq's fight with terrorism inside Iraq, President Rashid said: "Inside Iraq, I am pleased to say that we have controlled all ISIS activities. Occasionally, there may be isolated incidents, but there is no significant threat to any population, town, village or the capital from ISIS."

He added: "We remain concerned about ISIS pockets near the border with Syria. As a result, we have taken steps to secure the border and control the movement of any groups, particularly armed forces attempting to enter Iraq."

On existence of other forces in Iraq, he said: "Multinational forces remain in Iraq based on agreements between those forces and the Iraqi government. Any decisions regarding their presence or withdrawal will be made mutually, considering the current situation."



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