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Iraqi PM: Arab countries 'fear' democracy
7.2.2007
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February 7, 2007
BAGHDAD, -- Iraq's embattled Prime Minister
Nuri Al-Maliki charged yesterday that some Arab
countries were afraid of democracy because they
mimicked the dictatorship of the late Saddam
Hussein. "I know why they oppose us, because they
fear extension of democracy to their shores.
They have this fear because they are a copy of the
dictatorship which ruled Iraq," Maliki told Iraqi
military commanders. Stressing that Iraq was a
unified state, Maliki urged its neighbours to solve
their own issues before meddling in Iraqi affairs,
without naming any countries.
"Let the Arab countries look at their own people
first. I urge them to see how they treat their
majority and minority before they talk about our
people," he said in an address broadcast on
state-run Al-Iraqiya television. |
Iraqi Prime minister Jawad Nuri al-Maliki
Photo:AP |
Al-Maliki said that Iraq would not passively watch
some neighbouring states interfering with its
internal affairs urging Iraqi military leaders to
hastily execute the new security plan. "We hope our
neighbours would be glad as we got rid of
dictatorship, but obviously they prefer coexisting
with dictatorship than with democracy," said Al-Maliki
in a meeting with senior Iraqi military officials.
"They oppose democracy because they fear freedom
would reach their countries," said Al-Maliki, who is
also Iraq's Chief of General Staff. Al-Maliki added
that Iraqis were the front line in "the challenge
against ignorance and terrorism that aims to defeat
civilisation," stressing that Iraq wanted to be an
effective partner in the fight against global
terrorism.
"We have fallen behind in the implementation of the
new security plan, and this tardiness is sending a
negative signal to Iraqi people," he said, noting
that more delay would be used by Iraq enemies to
undermine the people's confidence.
"We are unified, be it Shiites, Sunnis or Kurds and
Christians. In fact the terrorists are unifying us
in blood as they kill everybody," Maliki said in a
stern tone.
The Iraqi premier warned Arab nations to stop aiding
"terrorists" who have unleashed a wave of bloodshed
in Iraq. "We were hoping that our brothers in
neighbouring countries will be happy after our
liberation from dictatorship, but unfortunately it
seems they prefer to live with dictatorship in the
region."
"There are efforts going on to interfere and smuggle
weapons to terrorists. We have talked about it
repeatedly and we are not going to stay silent." The
United States has regularly charged that Iran and
Syria were helping militias and foreign fighters to
fuel violence in Iraq that has left tens of
thousands of people dead in the war-torn country.
Kuwait Times- Agencies
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