NCPDA Statement
Contact: Nasser Rashidi
Dir. Tel: 202-487-6989
August 24th, 2007
The Fate of Iraqi Democracy in the Hands of an Extremist Government
It has become abundantly clear the Mr. Malaki’s government has failed to embrace democratic virtues and bring about reconciliation and peace to Iraq. Senator Carl Levin and Senator John Warner have offered the most unambiguous assessment of Mr. Malaki’s non-functional government. Senator Levin’s call for the ouster of the current Iraqi government is a step in the right direction and necessary one indeed.
Over the past few years, Mr. Malaki’s agenda has clearly been at odds with that of the Iraqi people. While the United States armed forces are sacrificing daily to secure a stable and peaceful Iraq, Mr. Malaki appears more ready to embrace the extremist regime in Iran than the secular voices in Iraq. Lt. Gen. Raymond, the U.S. Army’s day to day operations commander in Iraq reported that 75 percent of the attacks that kill or injure Americans there are by Shiite militias who have received training, arms and money from Iran.
Instead of addressing this and similar obstacles, Mr. Malaki’s government has instead empowered the militias, strengthened ties with the Iranian government, and encouraged Iran’s behavior in Iraq by stating that Tehran is actually improving the security in Iraq. A day before his trip to Tehran, for example, Malaki called for the expulsion of Iran’s main opposition movement, which is based in Ashraf City, Iraq, noting that their presence in Iraq is a threat to “Iran’s security”. With the loss of American and Iraqi life directly attributed to Iranian Revolutionary Guard’s activities, such statements call into
question his true intentions.
A “less sectarian and more unifying prime minister” would be welcome news to the Iraqi people fed up with sectarian violence. Prominent Iraqi politicians such as Dr. Alawi and Dr. Saleh Al-Motlaq, among others, have also called for the ouster of the present government.
The United States should decisively dismantle Tehran’s terror network and their Iraqi supporters both in and outside of the government. We must empower the more moderate/secular voices of Iraqis (Shiites, Sunni and Kurds) and work to put further pressure on the extremists. This is the only way to bring about a secure and peaceful Iraq and a victorious homecoming for our troops.
