Statement
The delegation of The Iraqi National Coalition, headed by Mr. Abdel Jabbaar Al-Kubeisi, the president of the Coalition, and accompanied by the members: Aouni Al-Qalamchi, the Coalition´s official spokesman; Fadhil Al-Rubaiee, the media spokesman; Dr. Muhamad Jawad Faris; Labied Abdel Aziz; and Amir Al-Tharb, visited Baghdad after receiving an official invitation from the political leadership. During the period from 11-11-2002 to 18-12-2002, the delegation discussed several issues with high-ranked officials in Baghdad, concerning the national political work, democracy, and diverse-political-life regulating rules. The American-Zionist threats, of a devastating war against our country and people, and what one may need to resist these threats and enforce the national unity, headed the delegation´s list of interests; one of which is making radical initiatives for comprehensive national reconcilement to be a starting point in rebuilding and founding a diverse political life.
In a frankness-dominating atmosphere, the delegation started a series of meetings with high-ranked Iraqi officials like the vice president of the Supreme Revolutionary Tribunal, Mr. Izat Ibrahim; and the Deputy Prime Minister, Mr. Tariq Aziz; and member of the Supreme Revolutionary Tribunal, Mr. Ali Hasan Al-Majied. The delegation discussed, initially, during these meetings the ways and the means to enforce the national unity as a prevention of a probable war whose consequences would affect not only Iraq, but also the whole Arabic region. This will be through adopting a reconciling policy based on strong wide national congruities; starting by which, it will be possible to rebuild and found a constitutional political life in Iraq. The delegation of The Iraqi National Coalition focused, during the first meeting, on Monday morning 18-11, with Mr. Vice president of the Supreme Revolutionary Tribunal, on the importance and the urgency for taking the needed steps that guarantee the country´s ability of actual moving from the state of the political monopoly to the state of openness and diversity.
During this meeting, Mr. Abdel Jabbaar Al-Kubeisi, the president of The Iraqi National Coalition, demanded from the political leadership to adopt a new political public address considering all Iraqis as partners in the process of rebuilding the political life; to acknowledge, actually, the opposing opinion and the right to differ; to guarantee this constitutional right; and to look at the diversity issue as a vital source in enriching the daily life of the Iraqi society.
Mr. Aouni Al-Qalamchi stressed the import of mobilizing the capacities of our people to face the empirical American-Zionist aggression, and mentioned the necessity to create a tolerant, reconciling atmosphere in the Iraqi society, and to give the hope in change; enabling our people, thereby, to resist and defeat the aggressors. Concomitantly, the delegation noticed that the Iraqi political leadership shows an unprecedented readiness to realize the openness, diversity, and the country´s movement to a constitutional democratic life. In this respect it is possible to summarize the most important points that have been dealt with during the meeting with Mr. Vice president of the Supreme Revolutionary Tribunal in the following:
1- After Mr. Vice president of the Supreme Revolutionary Tribunal welcomed the president and the members of the delegation, he expressed his personal delight and the Iraqi leadership´s pride of the courageous nationalistic attitude which the Coalition manifested in its literature and documents. Mr. Ibrahim also welcomed this daring step, made by the Coalition, in opening the doors to a national dialog in Baghdad; and he considered it as a great evidence of the genuine Iraqi´s nationalism who can overlook the differences and the mutual political struggle for the sake of the great historical interests of the country. Mr. Ibrahim announced to the delegation the Iraqi leadership´s willingness to accelerate adopting a reconciling policy which would be able to bear any kind of political criticism, including describing the regime in Baghdad as dominating and dictatorial. He said that those who oppose the regime or criticize it can come back to the country and continue the open political work, and are guaranteed not to be legally pursued…—except for those elements who are involved in informing-activities for the enemy. In this context, Mr. Vice president of the Supreme Revolutionary Tribunal informed the delegation about the presidential intention of assigning the Coalition the task of supervising three committees: preparing for a new permanent constitution in the country; parties law (different from the one of 1991); another law for journalistic freedoms. These committees started the actual work under its supervision to finish the first drafts of the laws, which are hoped to be shown soon to the president, to be then presented to the National Council to be discussed, and, finally, passed.
2- Mr. Ibrahim, during an extended talk about the unfair boycott and the continuous aggression against our country and people…—two things that played fundamental roles in paralyzing and postponing the heading towards democracy and political diversity…—stressed the fact that the political leadership in the country discussed seriously and frankly, during the passed period, the issues of political openness. The last few months witnessed a vital and rich discussion around the necessities and the conditions of starting the political diversity. The leadership has agreed on beginning a stage of political dialogs that aim at creating a new, diverse, parliamentary, political life based on constitution, and ending, thereby, an epoch of a singular national work.
3- The president of the delegation of the Coalition commented on the overture by saying: nations…—as history informs us…—can agree on one leader at a period of great encounters, but they never agree on one political party or belief, and Iraq, just like other nations in this world, is looking for a constitutional, political life on real bases, which would enable all the powers in the Iraqi society to participate and be emancipated. And added: plurality of parties is not a source of danger; on the contrary, what is, is the autocracy and monopolizing the political work. He said that the one-party´s historical task is over, and that the diverse, democratic, constitutional Iraq is one of the great nation´s guarantees in its destiny-battles against Zionism and the American aggression. In this discourse, Mr. President of the delegation maintained that the historical fight binds between protecting Iraq and defending the Palestinian people against the Zionistic plans.
The delegation ended the talks with Mr. Vice president of the Supreme Revolutionary Tribunal, agreeing on the import of taking real steps as soon as possible, to pedestrianize the way to rebuilding the political life in Iraq.
During the visit, a political evening was held on Tuesday, 26-11-2002, in Beit Al-Hikma, in Baghdad, titled: ” A Dialog with the Delegation of the Iraqi National Coalition: Visions of Political Openness”; in which, Mr. Jabbaar Al-Kubeisi (the president of the Coalition), Mr. Aouni Al-Qalamchi (the official spokesman), and Mr. Fadhil Al-Rubaiee (the media spokesman), participated. At the beginning of this evening, the delegation noticed that this represents the first actual, direct contact between the Iraqi nationalistic opposition and important sections of the intellectual, the political and the educated elite in the country. Many intellectual, educated and political characters (writers and university teachers), administrators, ambassadors, and prominent members in the National Leadership of The (governing) Arab Social Renaissance Party. The presence of Mr. Tariq Aziz, Deputy Prime Minister, and Mr. Abdel Majied Al-Rafiee, member of the National Leadership, during the evening, where the hall was qualitatively full, was remarkable. The evening witnessed wide participation of the written and the spoken Arabic media, and, after welcoming the delegation, the debate “the Political Openness in Iraq” started by a daring comment made by the president of the delegation Mr. Jabbaar Al-Kubeisi who stressed the following:
The current stage, amid war-fever and aggression against the country, demands a courageous initiative that is in harmony with the national and international characteristic of the forced battle, and participates in widening its field from Iraq to the Arab nation. This will be achieved by making a radical, qualitative movement in the political life that will end a history of mutual struggle, political monopoly, autocracy; and mobilize all the powers and capacities. This historical change will not be possible without the political leadership in Iraq following the method of reconcilement line with the nationalistic opposition; and without ending an epoch describing the other opinion as aggressive and treacherous.
Mr. Al-Kubeisi said during the talks that most of the Iraqi oppositionists abroad are loyal and nationalistic; that the discriminating-and-excluding-the-other policy drew some to the circle of error; that creating a tolerant and politically open atmosphere will motivate all nationalistic Iraqi oppositionists to return to their country and defend it and resist the aggressors; that the authority should take the responsibility in making radical measurements to achieve all that. He added that facing the plans of the aggressors, and working to prevent the dangers of a destructive war, demand mobilizing the powers, lining up, and adopting dialog as the only way to treat the current issues; while political diversity means, in this time, enriching and developing ways of confrontation; and that continuing the autocracy and the monopoly of the chances of the political work means only one thing: keeping the country locked up in a long epoch of political mutual struggle.
The media spokesman of the Coalition, Mr. Fadhil Al-Rubaiee, addressed the audience saying that the world has changed around Iraq, and Iraq should change as well; it is not possible any more for the country to keep away from the wind of change and democracy that blows through the whole world. And added: the one-party idea has died in its historical birthplace (the former Soviet Union), and excluding-the-others policy is not useful anymore. And said: the historical task of the one-party regime has ended, and the current stage needs to start a political, reconciling speech, which will participate in creating a new political environment that guarantees better chances for the country to defeat the aggressors and preserve Iraq´s historical choices.
The official spokesman of the Coalition, Mr. Aouni Al-Qalamchi, said that the American aggressors are looking for endless excuses to get at our country´s sovereignty and independence, and that the American administration is trying by all means to force the Anmovic towards creating pretexts. And said: this situation makes the country see the strong bond between the steps towards political openness inside Iraq and the task of resisting the evil war-scenarios. He added: rebuilding the political life demands starting a comprehensive national reconciling initiative that does not exclude anyone of those who shamed themselves by their connection with the enemy. Mr. Al-Qalamchi stressed that fact that the aimed-for political openness must be founded on constitutional bases that guarantee for everyone the right to work and act politically. And said: the promise that the delegation received from the vice president of the Supreme Revolutionary Tribunal that the soon-to-be-made draft of the prominent constitution and the new law for parties and journalism, has created an optimistic atmosphere concerning moving towards the new stage of the political work in Iraq.
After that, Dr. Muhamad Jawad Faris and Mr. Labied Abdel Aziz, members of the delegation, participated in the discussion enriching thereby the dialog. They stressed the same nationalistic standpoints and the issues of democracy and diversity.
Mr. Tariq Aziz, Deputy Prime Minister, at the end of the comments, commented on the issues and ideas raised by the delegation. The most prominent remarks made by Mr. Aziz were the following:
1. The, governing, Arab Social Renaissance Party acknowledges the political-diversity principle, and the national parties´ right in the open political work; and Iraq is actually preparing itself for a new period of political openness.
2. Mr. Deputy Prime Minister, talked about the historical relations between parties during the period of the struggle against monarchy and then during and after July revolution 1958. He remarked that the parties made the early mistake of mutual struggle; and he blamed the Iraqi Communist party for the collapse of the front of 1973. He mentioned the dialog with the Kurdish Movement, and blamed, as well, the National Kurdish Union, headed by Jalal Al-Talabani, for the responsibility of the failed talks in Baghdad that was held around finding a solution for the Kurdish problem in the Nineties. However, he welcomed the initiative of the Coalition and asked the Iraqi Communist Party to turn a new leaf and send a delegation, as that of the Coalition, to talk with the political leadership in Iraq.
After Mr. Deputy Prime Minister, Mr. Al-Kubeisi, the president of the Coalition asked to comment on what Mr. Aziz has just remarked, and said that the policy of blaming the others and acquitting oneself is a wrong and old policy; and that the, governing, Arab Socialist Renaissance Party has also made mistakes by involving in mutual struggle and practicing the political violence against its rivals, and it was not innocent of the charge of discrimination and excluding the other. Mr. Al-Kubeisi said that we are all required today to start a comprehensive reconciling policy which would enable Iraq to take its proper place regarding the respect of the general public freedoms. Around the Kurdish issue, Mr. Al-Kubeisi said that it is important to completely stop using arms; and start an open, deep, comprehensive dialog between the authority and the powers of the Kurdish people, with the participation of the other nationalistic powers to reach a national democratic comprehensive and permanent solution for this issue.
On Thursday, 28-11-2002, long talks, about different urgent issues, were held at the Cabinet between the delegation and Mr. Tariq Aziz. At the beginning of the meeting Mr. Tariq Aziz welcomed the president and the members of the delegation, and expressed his personal delight and the pride of the political leadership of this visit and said that it spread a feeling of comfort and happiness, and that the leadership views this visit as an important factor in the participation in creating a new political environment. Mr. Al-Kubeisi talked about the policy of the Coalition and its ideas that are asking for comprehensive national reconcilement of all Iraqi social powers; and demanded from the leadership to start taking radical measurements on the way to diversity and openness.
Mr. Aouni Al-Qalamchi said that creating an atmosphere of tolerance and respect the nationalist other, and preparing the ground for a constitutional political life require accelerating the process of taking a series of measurements and canceling many resolutions that restrict the process of political openness.
In this context, Mr. Fadhil Al-Rubaiee, member of the delegation, asked the political leadership to take urgent measurements to achieve the national reconcilement and said, addressing Tariq Aziz, that all Iraqis are looking forward to a very important, symbolic gesture like recognizing all those who died, were killed or executed since 1958 till today, who are the victims of the political mutual struggle, as martyrs of the Iraqi people and the Iraqi national movement; and what is needed today is rehabilitating and compensating their families properly. He added that such an initiative will have deep effect on achieving the comprehensive national reconcilement. Mr. Aziz, Deputy Prime Minister, answered that the political leadership in Iraq has been considering taking such a step, and it has been actually working for a long time to make a legal and political solution for the issue of the victims of the political mutual struggle in Iraq during the last few decades.
The delegation of The Iraqi National Coalition, demanded, during the talks with Mr. Aziz, that several national and nationalistic characters present inside Iraq to be allowed to publish independent newspapers without waiting for the new, looked-for, journalism law; stressing the fact that that is a necessary starting point on the way to rebuild the political life. Mr. Aziz asked the leadership of the Coalition to start directly publishing an open newspaper in Baghdad, and get a license for “party under founding” as a first stage, until the new party law is passed; and after that, new committees will be formed to start the national dialog.
On Friday, 29-11-2002, some of the members of the delegation left the country, while others, Mr. Al-Kubeisi and Al-Qalamchi, stayed to do some more negotiations with several Iraqi officials. Mr. Al-Kubeisi and Mr. Al-Qalamchi, received an assurance from the Iraqi officials that there is a serious tendency towards canceling the private and the emergency courts. Before leaving the country and going back to their residences, on 18-12-2002, Mr. Hasan Al-Majied, member of the Supreme Revolutionary Tribunal, met both Mr. Al-Kubeisi, the president of The Iraqi National Coalition, and Mr. Al-Qalamchi, the official spokesman. After welcoming them, Mr. Al-Majied assured them that all the preparations to resist the American-Zionistic aggression have been made, and said that: we have learned important lesson from our fight against the Americans in 1991; and the new encounter…—if it takes place…—will be a long one and they (i.e. the Americans) will pay dear and will be more than what they can bear. Mr. Al-Majied talked about the efforts that have been made…—in spite of the boycott…—to make projects and plans to improve and rebuild all the provinces in the country. He added that it was possible to start directly with these ambitious projects; however, the political leadership postponed them due to the American threats with war against Iraq. Mr. Member of the Supreme Revolutionary Tribunal assured Mr. Al-Kubeisi and Mr. Al-Qalamchi that the political leadership has taken a decision to review all other already-made, until now, decisions, and cancel whatever, of these decisions, that restricts the political openness, in order to create a tolerant and hopeful atmosphere where one has the right to express. Mr. Al-Majied explained that the leadership has decided to establish a Council of State in order to extend the public participation in making the political decision.
Beside the series of meetings and talks that have been made by the delegation of the Coalition in Baghdad, and on the occasion of the visit, the delegation made several extensive meetings with leaders and members, with various political views, who worked in the past in the frame of the Iraqi national movement. The hotel where the delegation had resided witnessed visits and warm meetings with politicians and intellectuals, who came to express their delight in the visit of the delegation, stressed their content with the quality of the political work of the delegation, and they valued, as well, the Coalition´s initiative.
The Iraqi National Coalition is trying through this statement to put all the members of the Coalition and those of the Iraqi national movement, including all its groups and powers, in the picture of what had happened during the talks in the country. By doing this, the Coalition is actually stressing on the essence of its overt and transparent policy and its care for the national dialog as the only way to solve the current issues which our country faces for a long time now. In this respect, the Iraqi National Coalition invites all sides, of the national work in Iraq, to elevate the political dialog to a level of commitment to the principles and the historical choices; to prevail the upper interests of the country and people over the narrow personal interests; and not to be led again to the political mutual struggle. The Coalition…—from the standpoint of great fighting-partnership that brings it together with other sides in the Iraqi national work; for the sake of democracy and protecting Iraq´s independence, its historical choices and its independent progress; and for the sake of averting the danger of aggression…—calls for new national congruities with bases from which it is possible to rebuild and found a political life where mutual respect, accepting the right to differ and rejecting the political mutual struggle prevail.
For these aims, this daring initiative has been taken to open a direct open dialog with the political leadership in Iraq; a step which demands a real and active participation, without hesitation, from everyone to improve it and give a push forward.
The Iraqi National Coalition
Baghdad, 18-12-2002
