My Interview with the Iraqi Government Spokesman, Ali al-Dabbagh

A part of my Interview with the Iraqi Government Spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh:

- B Back to domestic affairs. As you know supporters of Muqtada al-Sadr, the Iraqi Shia leader, have demanded that the government hold a public referendum on a long-term security agreement with the US. The country is much more secure than it was a year ago and the Iraqi forces are stronger than they ever were before. Do you think the Iraqis have the right to decide if they want a foreign force in their country or is this a need beyond democratic rights?

Dabbagh- "The agreement with the United States will not be signed unless it protected Iraq and its sovereignty. The government of Iraq is still in its early stages in negotiation with the United States. We have a different draft from what the United States has. Still we are far away from having an agreement with the United States. So, there is no way that any part or a person or any political group could sign without the approval of the Iraqi people, without protecting the Iraqi people's rights. This is no way. We do believe that every Iraqi is concerned that if a superpower, United States, is going to have an agreement with Iraq, we do need to deal with them as we are a sovereign country. Iraq has got its full sovereignty to accept or reject whatever items which is not workable, which is not accepted by Iraqis. This is the main issue which we are dealing."

Answering a question about his thoughts on the need for more transparent debate on the agreement, al-Dabbagh said, "It is an idea being projected not only by Moqtada al-Sadr but by many people. But in the end, we have a constitution. Constitution shows how we will work on having such an agreement with any other country. It shows that it should be referred to Council of Representatives, which they have to approve or disapprove. This is up to them. I think being the representative of the people, they are elected members, they have the full authority from the Iraqi people to do whatever Iraqi people felt. It should be subjected to all Iraqis, so that they could understand. It should have a national debate. This is a very important agreement between this country and the United States."

Sulaiman al-Furaiji´s (the religious leader in Sadr city) statement in this issue was quite interesting.
Angry about the idea that US forces would stay in Iraq due to an agreement with the Iraqi government he said: "Americans want this agreement to be signed for a longer stay in our country. It is already made between two groups which excluded Iraqi parliament, NGOs and religious leaders. Iraqi and US government did not work for any public or political compromise. This agreement will be a catastrophe for the nation because a superpower, not bound by the Iraqi laws, will be allowed to do anything in Iraq. Nobody knows the content of the agreement, made behind the closed doors. If our government thinks the agreement is for the benefit of Iraqis, they should declare its content. The government should show Iraq's sovereignty by refusing this agreement."

Interviews with Nouri al-Maliki, Djelal Talabani and Tarek al Hashimi are planned... I will write parts of these Interviews into my blog.

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