Home
Ambassador Faily Responds to Developing Security Situation in Iraq
Washington, DC (June 10, 2014) – Iraqi Ambassador to the United States Lukman Faily today responded to security developments in Iraq, including terrorist gains in some critical areas of Mosul, and highlighted new directives approved by Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki and his Cabinet to address the ongoing crisis.
“The people of Iraq are being threatened, intimidated and killed by terrorists that are only committed to maiming as many innocent Iraqis as possible, regardless of religious and ethnic identities, in an effort to advance their terrorist goals. Mosul is one of the most diverse provinces in Iraq, with Arabs, Kurds, Turkmen, Muslims, Christians and other minorities all coexisting together,” said Ambassador Faily.
“In a statement today before the Council of Ministers, Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki called on all Iraqis to unite together to reject this regional terrorist threat. The Prime Minister also called on the international community, including the United Nations and the Arab League, to work with Iraq to defeat terrorist organizations operating in Iraq and the broader Middle East. The threat is transnational and affects all of our nations and must be addressed holistically.”
“We will continue to work in close partnership with the United States to resolve the situation in Mosul, as well as defeat the terrorist threat to other areas of Iraq. This includes fully implementing the Strategic Framework Agreement and continuing to work closely to ensure Iraq’s military forces have the training and equipment they need to defeat this aggression,” concluded the Ambassador.
Following a meeting with his Cabinet in Baghdad earlier today, Prime Minister Al-Maliki outlined the following directives that were agreed on by the Council of Ministers to address the current state of emergency in Iraq:
The security forces are placed on high alert.
In order to quickly respond to the increasing threat to national security, the Prime Minister’s Office and the Presidency have requested that the Parliament declare a state of national emergency.
The Prime Minister called on locals and tribes to volunteer to defend the country against terrorism.
All necessary political and financial resources will be made available to counter the threat of terrorism.
The Prime Minister called on international organizations, including the United Nations and the Arab League to support Iraqis in their fight against terrorism in an effort to preserve international peace and security. Iraq is the target, but the ramifications extend beyond Iraq’s borders.
The Prime Minister called on neighboring countries to support Iraq in its fight against terrorism by securing their borders and preventing terrorists from crossing into Iraq, as well as cutting their financial and logistical supply routes.
The Prime Minister called on all government institutions to support Internally Displaced People (IDPs) and to provide all necessary means to reduce their suffering.
The establishment of a crisis cell to respond to the current security threat and restructuring of the security apparatus in line with current needs.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
