10 January, 2011Kuwait is independent, sovereign state, Iraqi ambitions gone forever
Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki said here Sunday that old Iraqi ambitions over the territories of Kuwait "have gone forever, and will never return again," stressing that Kuwait is, "an independent, sovereign state with borders and a national flag."
Al-Maliki said during his meeting with a visiting Kuwaiti media delegation that Iraq today is not like that of yesterday, and that Iraq's current policy is based on boosting bilateral ties and common interests with other countries, particularly the neighboring ones, as well as full cooperation and non-aggression on these countries.
Further, Al-Maliki welcomed the visit paid by the Kuwaiti delegation, deeming it, "a visit by a folk to their own folk, and by brothers to their own brothers," adding that the visit carries an important message to, "everything that took place before of traumas, wounds and regrettable and painful behavior that has nothing to do with Islamic or Arab manners or good neighborliness." He also made clear that this improvement, "came with the help of God, the wisdom of two peoples and the real leadership of the two countries, and not the outcast defunct leadership of Iraq," in a reference to the defunct regime of Saddam Hussein, adding that, "we could, thanks God, cross the trench of blood and suffering to hold such current meeting which expresses fraternity and love."
The Kuwaiti media delegation included Chairman of Kuwait Journalists Association (KJA) Ahmad Behbehani, Director General of KJA Adnan Al-Rashid and a number of editors-in-chief of local newspapers, editors and writers as well as Kuwait's ambassador in Iraq Ali Al-Mo'min and Iraq's ambassador in the State of Kuwait Sayed Mohammed Hussein Bahr Al-Ulum.
Al-Maliki said, "we are looking for the future, and today we establish such future which we regard as bright, and I think that what binds the two countries of strong bonds, blood relationships, religion and neighborliness are enough to form strong ties toward building up best relations, and to retort in the same time to anyone who still lives up till now according to the mindset of the head of the defunct regime." He also asserted that what occurred before, "became a past thing, and that it will never return, and should not return because this is not the behavior that should come out of the two brotherly and neighborly countries, and we are interested in conveying our voice to the State of Kuwait represented by its government and people."
Al-Maliki added, "we are interested in clarifying our vision on foreign relations, particularly those with the Arab countries, as we became engrossed in the challenges encountered by our country domestically in what affected our interest in Arab countries, and so we did not pay them enough attention." He also noted that the previous Iraqi government was interested in the first two years of its term in the security situation in Iraq as a result of the assassinations and the beheaded corpses found in the roads and desolate streets, "and so we did not pay attention to the domestic issues related to services and other things rendered to citizens." Al-Maliki made clear that, "whoever lived in a state like that one, had to abandon any thinking about strategic issues or even service issues."
On the national unity government, Al-Maliki said that, "it may be one of the weakest governments on one side," because the process of naming ministers and their number are determined by a constitutional term that may have its pressures on the line-up process, adding that, "this government on the other hand is also of the strongest governments because all parties take part in it, and have to abide by it." He added, "today the borders were demarcated, and this is a fact that we should admit and accept," noting that he understands the Kuwaitis' concern, "due to your suffering of what the defunct regime of Saddam Hussein perpetrated in your country as well as the historic crises which erupted between your country and Iraq .. though those who are existing now are not like those who were existing before, and it is all up even if some of the remnants of the defunct regime are still stoking fire." Al-Maliki also appealed for the Kuwaiti media delegation to help lessen the voices that instigate on worsening relationships between the two countries, and to call for abiding by the respect of each party to the other.
He added that, "we by turn will do this, and we are able to do it, asserting his optimism of the stance adopted by His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, and His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah in strengthening ties between the two brotherly countries and peoples.
On the Iraqi army, Al-Maliki said that, "the army's mission is wrap up its partnership with domestic security apparatuses and goes back to its barracks in order to protect the state's sovereignty," adding that, "the army's mission is not to keep domestic security, but if it becomes necessary to protect the national unity, it have to interfere and this is what happens in many countries."
Al-Maliki added that the Iraqi army turned during the defunct Iraqi regime into, "a tool of repression, and a means of suppression over the innocent people all over Iraq, and it was a stupid army because the regime was planning for expansion, suffering from megalomania, and aimed one day to make Iraq a substitute for Egypt in leading the Arab position." On the security issue in Iraq, Al-Maliki said that it has two dimensions, the first is an internal and the other external, asserting that this country can control the domestic security without any help from other countries whether the U.S. or any other country.
He added that what remained of the U.S. army in Iraq has nothing to do with any security process, and that the processes of chasing, following up and control are carried out by the Iraqi army, police and other Iraqi security apparatuses.
At the close of his talk with the Kuwaiti media delegation, Al-Maliki referred that his country seeks to become a big economic power in the region, saying that, "we may economically compete with you, and may invest money in your country, and you invest money in our country, and each one of us helps the other in developing his country, but we will never think about entering a military race against you." Meanwhile, Iraqi ambassador in Kuwait Sayed Mohammed Hussein Bahr Al-Ulum said that he did find since the start of his tenure in Kuwait, "except great love for Iraq," on the part of those who he met in houses or in Dawawein, places of social gatherings, referring in the same time to what he called "Iraq's phobia" on the part of some Kuwaiti citizens, saying that this should be discarded.
Further, Bahr Al-Ulum quoted his H.H. the Amir, when he handed over his credentials to him, as saying that, "if we to make ourselves judges over history, we will squander the future," in a reference to the necessity of letting past pass, and embarking upon future action for the benefit of the two sides.
Bahr Al-Ulum also said that the message of the Iraqi government to Kuwait and its people that the new Iraq bears well-being to Kuwait, expressing hopes that Kuwaitis will get this message, and will work on its basis.
On his part, the Kuwaiti ambassador in Iraq Ali Al-Mo'min referred to the strong bonds that binds the two peoples since old times, recalling his service in the Kuwaiti army, and how the Kuwaiti army used to take part with its Iraqi counterpart in the Arab wars and to march together toward the paths of war.
Al-Mo'min also reviewed the beginnings of his tenure
Kuwait News Agency
