Tuesday, 29th September 2009
Iraq and the EU - a future partnership
My election to the post of President of the European Parliament's Delegation for Relations with Iraq is a great honour. It is also a considerable challenge, as Iraq is a key player in the future of the Middle East.
There are some major issues that must be tackled without delay.
As the US forces reduce their presence in Iraq in preparation for their ultimate withdrawal, we should assist in the handover process to ensure that it goes as smoothly as possible and to make sure Iraq's neighbours, particularly Iran, will not be able to exploit this situation.
The recent explosions in Baghdad on Black Wednesday (19 August), were a tragedy which must not be repeated. There is a strong belief amongst many Iraqi officials and others, that the Iranian regime was behind these explosions, using them as a way to make their presence felt, in an ominous effort to influence the internal policies of the Iraqi government.
I also believe that we have a duty to pave the way for building the relationship between the EU and Iraq, both in trade and politics. We must always insist that economic assistance in the reconstruction of Iraq is directly linked to good governance and respect for human rights. This is a basic principle for us and is non-negotiable.
The other topic which we have to watch closely is January’s Iraqi election. We have to help the Iraqis to hold a really free and fair election, free of interference from their neighbours. The USA will need to help in this sensitive task. The new Iraqi constitution enjoyed overwhelming support among the Shia and Ķurdish communities, but was resoundingly rejected by Arab Sunnis. This has sown the seeds of on-going tension which must be resolved. Iraq has a number of ethnic minority groups such as the Kurds, the Assyrians, Mandeans, Iraqi Turkmen, Shabaks and Roma. The Kurds have now established their own autonomous region, but the remaining ethnic groups claim that they continue to suffer discrimination on religious or ethnic grounds.
We cannot allow a repeat of the circus which took place in Afghanistan, when ballot boxes were stuffed and there was widespread fraud and intimidation of voters.
Furthermore, we will have to tackle respect for the rights of refugees and political exiles. This is a fundamental issue for the European Parliament. In this regard I am deeply concerned that three resolutions adopted by the European Parliament in relation to Camp Ashraf, a refuge camp for 3,400 Iranian opposition exiles, have been ignored by the Iraqi authorities.
Although our resolutions called for the protection of the Ashraf refugees, tragically, the Iraqi authorities invaded the camp on 28 & 29 July, killing 11, injuring 500 and kidnapping 36 who are still being held in prison despite orders from an Iraqi judge that they should be freed. Our delegation should always strive to be the guardian of the resolutions of the European Parliament.
Of course there are many other areas of great sensitivity to be explored and discussed, hopefully in a spirit of bilateral co-operation with the Iraqi Prime Minister and Government.
Iraq has a proud and ancient history. It really is the cradle of mankind and was home to the earliest known civilisation on Earth, the Sumerians, who lived in the fertile Tigris-Euphrates river valley of southern Iraq in the mid 6th millennium BC. It is an awe-inspiring challenge to be able to play a small role in the future rebuilding of this great nation and the re-establishment of a firm and lasting friendship between the EU and the Iraqi citizens.
