Iraqi President Barham Saleh: We can’t afford a new war and issues must be solved through communication

Elaph - Exclusive
Iraqi President Barham Saleh: We can’t afford a new war and issues must be solved through communication
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An exclusive interview was conducted by Elaph’s Publisher and Editor-in-Chief, Othman Al-Omeir, with Iraqi President Barham Saleh during his stay in London, where he met with Queen Elisabeth.

Saleh admired the queen’s charisma and awareness of the situation in Iraq. He mentioned that she recalled the details of her meeting with King Faisal II, the last king of Iraq.&

President Saleh confirmed that Britain plays a decisive role in the region, despite the Middle East changes and conflicts. He added that communication and cooperation with Britain are vital, for besides being a great international power, Britain has always been on good terms with Iraq throughout history, as well as having influence and interests in the Middle East. Britain’s economic role has been consistently growing in the global market. In London, Jewish with Iraqi origins, Muslims and Christians are all active, and they proved they can integrate and succeed easily in various fields in Britain.

During the interview with Elaph, President Saleh admitted that Kurdistan needs to establish democracy and to end corruption and favoritism. He added that he received a call from His Highness, King of Bahrain, in which the King mentioned he is grateful for the efforts done by the Iraqi government in response to the attacks on the embassy of Bahrain in Iraq. He stated that good terms with Iraq will remain no matter what radicals try to do to harm these good relations. He added that consistent communication and efforts to solving issues are important for the stability of Iraq and the region.

During the interview, President Saleh hoped that war will not happen in the region, for no one can afford it. If the problem exists, it has to be solved through communication and parley. Iran, as a country, has an important status in the region, and we can’t ignore neither its importance nor its role.

He added that the lack of justice, corruption, and unemployment are main components of a system that generates extremism. This region needs to forget the past and focus on finding new job opportunities for its young generation. He stated, “Our region will remain threatened by fanaticism, terrorism, disorder and war, unless more significance will be given to modern education systems, and more respect for human dignity in his country”.&

President Saleh confirmed that Iraq has strong ties with its Arabic roots and identity, and that it is time for the country to play a central role in the region. The location of Iraq on the map between two Islamic entities, Turkey and Iran, in addition to Arab gulf nations, can help him becoming a hub for a regional dialogue and understanding. This will start from the mutual interest of improving the stability of Iraq, and later establish a system that will work towards the eradication of extremism and deviation.