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Iraq Will Remain United


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15:06
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BAGHDAD (Reuters) - 
Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi predicted on Thursday that the country's GDP growth will grow by 2.9 percent next year. 
"We expect real GDP growth of 2.9 per cent in 2018," Abadi said in an article published in The New York Times.
"This year we have been able to issue two international finance bonds; but restoring services to cities and rebuilding societies is not something that Iraq can achieve alone; we need investment and funding," he said. 
"After years of unconstitutional oil sales and revenue generation, the KRG is on the verge of bankruptcy, and this is due to the corruption of a few Kurdish officials and their families," he said.
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Iraq Will Remain United

By HAIDER al-ABADIOCT. 18, 2017

 
Photo
19Abadi-master768.jpg
 
CreditMike McQuade 
 

 

BAGHDAD — In June 2014, the cover of Time magazine echoed a sentiment common among pundits and outsiders: “The End of Iraq,” it read. I am proud to say that three years later, thanks to the Iraqi armed forces and the Iraqi people, these predictions were wrong.

Since then, Iraq has steadily dealt defeats to the Islamic State, also known as Daesh, a vicious enemy that has threatened our entire region and killed innocent people across the world. Now, having liberated cities including MosulTal Afar and Hawija, Iraq is poised to drive out Daesh completely. Millions of people, forced out of their towns by barbaric terrorism, are going back home. Schools are reopening and doctors and nurses are returning to health clinics. We are beginning the enormous task of rebuilding our nation.

Our people have made extraordinary sacrifices to liberate their land. Daesh thought it could exploit the vulnerability of the Iraqi state, but it underestimated the overwhelming desire of the Iraqi people for unity.

I had hoped that just as we united to defeat our enemy, we would unite to recover and rebuild. Many Iraqis were therefore shocked by the unilateral action of some elements of the Kurdish leadership — key architects of the 2005 Iraq Constitution, which enshrines and protects Iraq’s federalism — in holding an illegal referendum last month. This move, which directly contravenes the Constitution, is an act of deliberate division.

Worst of all, the referendum emboldens the remnants of Daesh. No effort for autonomy or self-rule can succeed if it is approached illegally. Unilateral actions violating the law threaten the stability of our entire country, and therefore our neighbors, as well.

As prime minister of Iraq, I am required to act in accordance with the Constitution to protect all of the Iraqi people and to keep our country united. To do so, the government has reinforced and restored what is prescribed in its federal mandate: that is, federal authority over national borders, oil exports and customs revenues.

 

The redeployment this week of Iraqi forces to parts of Kirkuk and other areas in northern Iraq is consistent with this approach. These are federal forces — army, counterterrorism, police and rapid deployment units — and their members come from Iraq’s many ethnic and religious groups, including Kurds. This deployment was not an attack on Kurdish citizens or on the city of Kirkuk; it was an Iraqi federal operation aimed at restoring federal authority to areas that were under government control until 2014.

I have instructed these forces to not provoke skirmishes or conflict. But they have a duty to protect citizens and defend themselves if they come under fire. Our orders to the armed forces are to secure federal facilities in Kirkuk and other northern areas, assist with the safe return of displaced people, and maintain vigilance against terrorist attacks. We have instructed local officials to ensure all public services operate as normal and improve service provision where possible.

Maintaining security will also entail ensuring economic stability. After years of conducting unconstitutional oil sales and pocketing the revenue, the Kurdistan Regional Government is on the verge of bankruptcy. This is a result of the corruption of a few Kurdish officials and their families. My government intends to redress the inequitable distribution of our national resources to discourage corruption in the Kurdish region, and protect the people there and in the whole of Iraq.

Just as Iraq united to defeat Daesh over the past three years, we now need to apply that same unity to our next challenges: reconstruction and building a democratic country where each citizen enjoys full access to the protection of the state.

I was elected prime minister in 2014 under incredibly difficult circumstances: A third of the country was overrun by terrorists, the economy was struggling, people were divided by sectarianism and relations with the wider world were strained. We have made great strides. In addition to defeating Daesh, we expect to achieve real gross domestic product growth of 2.9 percent in 2018. This year we were able to issue two international financing bonds. But restoring services to cities and rebuilding communities is not something Iraq can achieve on its own. We will need investment and financing to ensure that we not only recover, but prosper.

For the sake of all Iraqi citizens, we cannot allow the seeds of discord to take root again. I urge the leadership in Iraqi Kurdistan to come to its senses. Iraq cannot and will not recognize unilateral, unconstitutional actions taken by a few against the will of the nation. Personal profiteering must be put aside to ensure national prosperity. On behalf of the people of Iraq, I call on the Kurdish Regional Government to acknowledge the authority of the Constitution and to enter dialogue on this basis.

The federal government of Iraq seeks continued support and cooperation from our international partners. For now, we urge regional powers and other outsiders not to interfere in our affairs. Iraq must be able to demonstrate its coming of age by using democratic structures to solve internal disputes. In the medium term, the international community can transition their support from security-based to economic-based. Initiatives that build trusted, efficient and democratic forms of local governance across Iraq, including the Kurdish region, are crucial. The fair distribution of resources must form the bedrock of our approach.

Achieving this as one Iraq, with a united vision of our place in the world, is best for our stability. And a stable Iraq is what is best for the stability of the region and the world.

Haider al-Abadi is the prime minister of Iraq.

Follow The New York Times Opinion section on Facebook and Twitter (@NYTopinion), and sign up for the Opinion Today newsletter

 
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I believe it will remain united.

 

Perhaps the misfortunes of some people are advantages to others, despite the failure of the referendum, but it benefited all Iraqis, as the referendum unified the Iraqis, and gave a lesson in unity and stand against anyone who dares to commit a national crime like the division of Iraq. One of the results is that it affirmed the question of no doubt that the two families governing the Kurdistan region of Iraq failed to manage its affairs, and brought back the region to the year before 2003 and perhaps the size of the losses will increase with the coming days.

 

Go Iraq united

Go success 

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11 minutes ago, Laid Back said:

I believe it will remain united.

 

Perhaps the misfortunes of some people are advantages to others, despite the failure of the referendum, but it benefited all Iraqis, as the referendum unified the Iraqis, and gave a lesson in unity and stand against anyone who dares to commit a national crime like the division of Iraq. One of the results is that it affirmed the question of no doubt that the two families governing the Kurdistan region of Iraq failed to manage its affairs, and brought back the region to the year before 2003 and perhaps the size of the losses will increase with the coming days.

 

Go Iraq united

Go success 

 

I have to agree LB, once they all get on the same page they will be strongly united in this. If I remember correctly it seems Chuck Finley eluded to this very same thing awhile ago as well.

 

   I believe were on the tail end of this bumpy ride and about to see the train pull into the station !!

 

 

   pp

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25 minutes ago, pokerplayer said:

I have to agree LB, once they all get on the same page they will be strongly united in this. If I remember correctly it seems Chuck Finley eluded to this very same thing awhile ago as well.

 

   I believe were on the tail end of this bumpy ride and about to see the train pull into the station !!

 

 

   pp

 

Just a couple of weeks ago it appeared that Barzani's referendum was one giant step backwards for the progress and future well-being of Iraq.....now it looks more like it was 2 giant steps forward......whoda thunk?    (well....besides Chuck)   :goodnews:

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20 minutes ago, pokerplayer said:

 

I have to agree LB, once they all get on the same page they will be strongly united in this. If I remember correctly it seems Chuck Finley eluded to this very same thing awhile ago as well.

 

   I believe were on the tail end of this bumpy ride and about to see the train pull into the station !!

 

 

   pp

Howdy PP, getting cold up there yet? I sure hope your right about this bumpy ride coming to an end, this working 12 hrs a day 6 days a week is getting old and my body can’t take it much longer,driving an 18 wheeler around the lovely pothole state of Massachusetts takes a toll on the body so I’m used to a bumpy ride but I’ll just keep doing it until we cross the finish line 🏁 

keep hubby warm up there I hear there’s a artic blast gona pay us a visit. 👋

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3 minutes ago, "Fred" said:

Howdy PP, getting cold up there yet? I sure hope your right about this bumpy ride coming to an end, this working 12 hrs a day 6 days a week is getting old and my body can’t take it much longer,driving an 18 wheeler around the lovely pothole state of Massachusetts takes a toll on the body so I’m used to a bumpy ride but I’ll just keep doing it until we cross the finish line 🏁 

keep hubby warm up there I hear there’s a artic blast gona pay us a visit. 👋

 

 

Thxs Fred, yes it is suppose to get really chilly the next while. That is a good enough reason for me to get an RV in place so I can travel to some sweet warm locations. LOL

 

Hope our paths cross one day real quick like !!

 

   pp

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Lol I’m really not sure where I’m gona be if and when this happens but I know I’ll be where the sun meets the warm blue water and the beach has really white sand,I’ll be the one at a tiki hut with a cold drink in front of me, it might be just lemonade but I’ll also have a smile on my face 😀

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2 minutes ago, "Fred" said:

Lol I’m really not sure where I’m gona be if and when this happens but I know I’ll be where the sun meets the warm blue water and the beach has really white sand,I’ll be the one at a tiki hut with a cold drink in front of me, it might be just lemonade but I’ll also have a smile on my face 😀

 

I hope to see you there Fred.....and "soon".....LOL

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Thanks HCR...I still think the referendum was purposely activated  immediately after ISIS was put on the run to achieve the effects that transpired...There's no way something as blatantly illegal as the referendum could have ended in any condition than its own demise....

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2 hours ago, pokerplayer said:

 

I have to agree LB, once they all get on the same page they will be strongly united in this. If I remember correctly it seems Chuck Finley eluded to this very same thing awhile ago as well.

 

   I believe were on the tail end of this bumpy ride and about to see the train pull into the station !!

 

 

   pp

I have to agree my friend pp,

I see January 2018 as the next window of opportunity for an increase of the dinar exchange rate.

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10 I could not agree more. Barzani thought he had the upper hand for sure. Pavel Talabani crushed him by cooperating with Abadi. I have a feeling he is going down. Combine the events in Kurdistan/Kirkuk and Ali Alak (CBI Gov.) stating that the CBI had ended the multiple currency practices and removed the remaining exchange rate restrictions and I see this thing picking us steam through the end of the year, give or take MHO of course.

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Abadi: We expect GDP growth of 2.9% next year

 
Last updated
The time now is 03:18 PM
 
 
Baghdad / Al-Ghad Press: 
Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi predicted on Thursday that GDP growth in the Iraqi economy will grow by 2.9% next year. 
"We expect real GDP growth of 2.9 per cent in 2018," Abadi said in an article published in The New York Times. 
 

"This year we have been able to issue two international finance bonds; but restoring services to cities and rebuilding societies is not something that Iraq can achieve alone; we need investment and funding," he said. 
"After years of unconstitutional oil sales and revenue generation, the KRG is on the verge of bankruptcy, and this is due to the corruption of a few Kurdish officials and their families," he said.

link

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Iraq will remain united

 

 Since 2017-10-19 at 10:04 (Baghdad time)

aaaaaaaasdwqefcwevfr.jpg

Haidar Abadi

BAGHDAD - In June 2014, Time magazine covers an echo of common feelings among critics and outsiders: "The End of Iraq," as I read. I am proud to say that three years later, thanks to the Iraqi armed forces and the Iraqi people, these expectations were wrong.

Since then, Iraq has suffered steadily from the defeats of a daunting organization, a vicious enemy that threatens our entire region and kills innocents all over the world. Now that the liberated cities have been liberated, including Mosul, Tal Afar and Hawija, Iraq is ready to take out a full-fledged advocate. Millions of people, forced to leave their cities with brutal terror, are returning home. Schools reopen and doctors and nurses return to health clinics. We have begun the enormous task of rebuilding our nation.

Our people have made extraordinary sacrifices to liberate their land. Da'ash said that he could exploit the weakness of the Iraqi state, but it reduces the desire of the Iraqi people in unity.

I wish to unite for recovery and reconstruction as we are united to defeat our enemy. Many Iraqis have been shocked by the unilateral action of some elements of the Kurdish leadership - the main architects of the 2005 Iraq Constitution, which devotes and protects Iraqi federalism - to holding an illegal referendum last month. This move, which is directly contrary to the Constitution, is an act of deliberate division.

Worse yet, the referendum encourages encouraging remnants. No effort for autonomy or self-government can succeed if approached illegally. Unilateral acts that violate the law threaten the stability of our country as a whole, and therefore of our neighbors as well.

As Prime Minister of Iraq, I have to act in accordance with the Constitution to protect all the Iraqi people and to keep our country united. To that end, the Government has strengthened and recovered what is enshrined in its federal mandate: the federal authority on national borders, oil exports and customs revenues.

The redeployment of Iraqi forces this week to parts of Kirkuk and other areas in northern Iraq is consistent with this approach. These are federal forces - the army, counter-terrorism, police and rapid deployment units - and its members come from many ethnic and religious groups in Iraq, including the Kurds. This publication was not an attack on Kurdish citizens or the city of Kirkuk. Was an Iraqi federal operation aimed at restoring federal authority to areas under government control until 2014.

I have instructed these forces not to provoke skirmishes or conflicts. But they have a duty to protect citizens and defend themselves if they are shot. Our orders to the armed forces are to secure federal facilities in Kirkuk and other northern areas, to assist in the safe return of displaced persons and to maintain vigilance against terrorist attacks. We have instructed local officials to ensure that all public services are functioning normally and to improve service delivery wherever possible.

 Ensuring security will also require ensuring economic stability. After years of conducting unconstitutional oil sales and bringing in revenues, the KRG is on the verge of bankruptcy. This is the result of the corruption of a few Kurdish officials and their families. My Government intends to address the inequitable distribution of our national resources in order to discourage corruption in the Kurdish region and to protect the people there and in all of Iraq.

Just as Iraq has united to a crushing defeat over the past three years, we now need to apply the same unity to our following challenges: reconstruction and the building of a democratic country in which every citizen has full access to state protection.

I was elected prime minister in 2014 under incredibly difficult circumstances: a third of the country has been invaded by terrorists, the economy is struggling, people are divided by sectarianism, and relations with the wider world have been tense. We have made great strides. In addition to a daunting defeat, we expect real GDP growth of 2.9 percent in 2018. This year we managed to issue two international financing bonds. But restoring services to cities and rebuilding communities is not something that Iraq can achieve on its own. We need investment and financing to ensure that we not only recover, but prosperity.

Source: The New York Times

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