|
Iraqi president in Britain to meet Blair,
speak at Cambridge University
11.5.2007
|
|
|
|
Iraqi
president says Blair is 'hero' of his country's
freedom
May 11, 2007
Iraq's Kurdish president, Jalal Talabani, was
meeting Prime Minister Tony Blair and speaking at a
university on Friday, as his country's leaders
grapple with relentless violence and pressure from
U.S. lawmakers who want to bring America's troops
home.
Talabani is visiting a day after Blair announced his
resignation date, and at the end of another week of
deadly attacks that included a bombing in the
normally peaceful capital of Iraq's self-governing
Kurdistan region.
Iraqi President Jalal Talabani Friday hailed
outgoing British Prime Minister Tony Blair as a
"hero" of the liberation of Iraq and said he was
"sorry that British boys and girls" were dying in
Iraq. Talabani, after talks with Blair in London
Friday, also said that progress had been made in
some areas of Iraq, and he invited Blair to visit
"to see the realities of all parts of Iraq."
At a joint news conference, Blair defended his
decision to send British troops to Iraq, but
conceded that "things could have been done
differently" after the toppling of ex-dictator
Saddam Hussein in 2003.
"But I don't think that alters the basic point of
what is happening in Iraq today," Blair added.
Talabani described the removal of Saddam Hussein as
a "big historic achievement" not only for Iraq, but
for the whole of the Middle East and Europe.
Terrorism was the "enemy of all countries," added
Talabani, naming Morocco and Saudi Arabia as
examples.
Blair said as long as "outsiders" were detrmined to
"destroy" Iraq, Britain would support the country to
defeat terrorism.
"Terrorists want to weaken our will, but we must
redouble our efforts to beat them," Blair said.
Talabani said that Iraq had embarked on plans to
achieve "real national reconciliation" that would
lead to "real national unity." |
Britain's Prime Minister Tony Blair, left, meets
Iraq's President Jalal Talabani , right, at Downing
Street, London, Friday May 11, 2007 AP
British Prime Minister Tony Blair meets with Iraq's
President Jalal Talabini in Number 10 Downing Street
on Friday May 11, 2007 in London AP |
|
The Iraqi president praised Blair, who will be
leaving office at the end of June, as a "great
leader of a great people."
The truck bomb outside Irbil's security headquarters
killed at least 15 people on Wednesday and served as
a reminder that no corner of Iraq is immune from
bloodshed.
Following a breakfast meeting with Blair, Talabani
was scheduled to speak at the University of
Cambridge.
The Iraqi president was among several leaders who
met with U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney Thursday at
the start of his tour of the Middle East.
U.S. officials said Cheney's unannounced visit was
meant to push Iraqi leaders to do more to pursue
reconciliation among ethnic and religious factions.
Iraq's Shiite-dominated government is under pressure
to pass legislation aimed at drawing minority Sunni
Arabs into the political process and weakening
support for the insurgency. Sunni legislators have
been threatening to pull out of the government if no
progress is made.
Talabani, a former Kurdish guerrilla leader, is
serving a second term as Iraq's president.
Talabani founded the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan in
1975, one of two main Kurdish parties that fought
Saddam Hussein's regime and has jointly ruled the
Kurds' autonomous zone in northern Iraq since the
1990s.
The 73-year-old Talabani underwent 17 days of
medical treatment in Jordan after collapsing and
falling unconscious on Feb. 25. His doctor said he
had suffered from exhaustion and dehydration after
lung and sinus infections, and dismissed rumors that
Talabani also had a heart problem.
AP | DPA
Top |
Kurd Net
does not take credit for and is not responsible for the content of news
information on this page
|
® 