Madrid
Declaration: Road to Democratic Iraq
 |
Spain’s
Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar, right, inaugurates an international
conference on the future of democracy in Iraq in Madrid,
Spain. Seated is Sheikh Mohammed Mohammed Ali, one of the
leaders of the Iraqi national congress.
Bernardo
Rodriguez / AP
Photo |
Iraqis "will
build their own future, choose their own leaders and enjoy their
own bounty," said Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar during
Spain’s sponsored conference held for prominent Iraqis from at least
9 varying political groups. Together in Madrid, the Iraqis continue
to work through the tough political process in order to establish
a democratic post-Saddam government.
Spain’s Foreign
Minister Ana Palacio took part in the opening dialogue, and official
Jorge Moragas told reporters, "Our role is really to facilitate
dialogue..we realize that dialogue among Iraqi groups is complicated."
The meetings
in Spain with over 100 Iraqi delegates usher in the Madrid Declaration
which paves the way for more high level talks in Baghdad this
week. The declaration carries with it an advancing banner of basic
human rights and equality for all in Iraq. In Baghdad, the Iraqi
leaders will work out more details of their government with interim
government facilitator General Garner. There they will reach additional
steps for a desired outcome to fully realize and maintain the
freedom delivered to them by Allied nations for their people.
The opposition to a democratic process is ever present in Iraq,
such as those brought on by Iranian political activities amongst
the newly freed Iraqis or those wanting an extremist religious
state. Officials have said that such a position would threaten
a return to a similar stranglehold regime as was seen in Saddam’s
controlled Iraq.
On Abu Dhabi
TV Sunday, U.S. Defense Secretary Rumsfeld addressed Iran’s attempts
to disrupt the freedom in Iraq through such means as utilizing
Iranian activists saying, "I believe that people naturally
want to be free. I believe that the Iraqi people do too, they
didn’t fight a long war with Iran because they’d like Iran to
come in and run their country."
Rumsfeld also
revealed information that has not been widely reported about some
of the problems the Iraqi people and Coalition forces face in
keeping peace in Iraq. He said of the munitions explosion that
killed a U.S. soldier and Iraqis. "There are still people
shooting; there are still people attempting to blow up things
who are left-overs from the Fedayeen Saddam crowd, from the paramilitaries,
and from the regime of Saddam Hussein." "They do things
like that, and they do it to blame it on the United States and
to blame it on the Coalition. And it’s important for people in
television and in the press to understand that.
"We recently had a picture of a Red Crescent vehicle, and
it had the big red crescent on it like a red cross in the United
States and other countries, and we found it; we opened it up.
There was no medicine, there were no stretchers; there was no
assistance for people in need. What was in it? It was a military
vehicle. It was a military vehicle pure and simple that had been
redesigned and then they fraudulently put on it that it was a
Red Crescent vehicle. And that’s been a pattern of that regime.
It’s a pattern of people today, trying to do things that kill
innocent Iraqis, and then try to blame it on other people, and
it’s important for people in the media business to tell the truth
about things like that."
These are
the same types of problems that will likely continue through the
meetings and conferences as the interim government with General
Garner leaves and the new democratic Iraq emerges for all the
political and religious groups in Iraq.
The Iraqi
National Congress has been involved in the Madrid Declaration
meetings and is another leading force in the Iraqi political landscape.
It has played a key role in the arrest of at least seven of the
55 on the U.S. list of war criminals known as the ‘Most Wanted.’
The INC reportedly has a network of supporters who have been in
Iraq before the war. The Iraqi people themselves have been highly
interested in seeing the end of oppression and fear and many report
to Coalition forces those known to be involved in terror, crimes
against humanity, or agitators deliberately working to create
chaos.
The London
Sunday Telegraph reports that documents that were found in a building
that housed Iraqi Intelligence offices show a direct link between
Osama bin Laden and Saddam Hussein. Reportedly the locals aren’t
surprised, and neither are the Coalition leaders, yet the discovered
documents are being transported to Coalition officials for examination.
Coalition
troops were killed by terrorists in Iraq; they posed as civilians
and then detonated explosives they were wearing as they neared
the soldiers. Iraqis led Coalition troops to the discovery of
hundreds of custom made bomb laden vests.
In Madrid,
several of the Iraqi delegates had reportedly said they want Saddam
(if he is found alive) to be prosecuted for war crimes and crimes
against humanity. Spain’s leadership has been key to the diplomatic
process for Iraqi; the meetings in Madrid fostered an agreement
between strong Iraqi political groups.
Last
Week in London, Spain and Britain Discussed Iraqi Freedom; the
Middle East "Road Map" peace process, Blair Addresses
Alleged Saddam Regime Conspirator Labour Party Member George Galloway,
Aznar Remembers Winston Churchill
Speaking after
talks in London with Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar,
the Prime Minister of Britain stressed that the situation in Iraq
continues to improve. He said:
"It is
very clear, as we saw from the Shia pilgrimage to Karbala, that
there are freedoms that people are enjoying in Iraq today, freedoms
to agree and freedoms to disagree that they have been denied for
many long years under the brutal regime of Saddam Hussein. It
is also very clear from the discoveries that have been made just
in the past few days just how fundamentally brutal this regime
was."
Both Prime
Ministers welcomed the agreement between Yasser Arafat and Abu
Mazen on the nominations for the new Cabinet of the Palestinian
Authority.
Read the full
transcript below:
Prime
Minister Blair:
Good evening
everyone and welcome to our press conference. First of all, can
I extend the warmest welcome to President Aznar? I am delighted
to see him here in Downing Street. I would like to pay a special
tribute to his courage and to his leadership over these past few
months, which has been of enormous benefit not just to the coalition,
but I believe also to the security and stability of the wider
world.
He and I have
just finished a short time ago a conversation with President Bush
where we discussed the present situation, the outcome of the coalition
action, the future of Iraq and, also, the Middle East Peace Process.
Perhaps I can just say a word about those issues.
Iraq continues
to stabilise. It is very clear, as we saw from the Shia pilgrimage
to Karbala, that there are freedoms that people are enjoying in
Iraq today, freedoms to agree and freedoms to disagree that they
have been denied for many long years under the brutal regime of
Saddam Hussein. It is also very clear from the discoveries that
have been made just in the past few days just how fundamentally
brutal this regime was: the prisons where thousands of people
were tortured and died; the mass graves of those who dared to
disagree with the regime; the environmental degradation committed
by Saddam’s forces; the sheer terror that that population lived
under for many, many long years. And for all the difficulties,
I have no doubt at all that it is both our duty and our opportunity
to make sure that for the future people in Iraq can live free
from fear, free from tyranny, and with a government genuinely
representative of the Iraqi people. That is what we are working
towards.
We are also
doing everything we can to improve the humanitarian situation
there and to usher in an era in Iraq where not merely do we achieve
the same levels of facilities that they had before the conflict,
but that we also enhance those facilities so that people have
better access to the fundamental needs and services that they
require. Again, what is very clear just in these past few weeks
is that the Iraqi people – given the chance, given their character
as a people, given the potential wealth of the country – could
have a future of prosperity, justice and freedom for all.
In addition,
obviously, we discussed the Middle East Peace Process. Again,
I would like to thank President Aznar for his interventions that
I think have had a significant and positive outcome on the discussions
of recent days. We are delighted that the Palestinian cabinet
has been agreed under the Prime Minister Abu Mazen. There is now
every chance we can make progress in the Middle East. The appointment
of the cabinet allows the Roadmap to be published – a set of proposals
for peace in the Middle East drawn up by the United States, Russia,
the European Union and the UN. I have no doubt at all that there
is a genuine commitment the world over to make sure we can make
a reality of the two-state solution: Israel, confident of its
security and recognised by the Arab world, and a viable Palestinian
state.
Finally, we
also agreed on the essential importance of continuing the fight
against terrorism in all its forms. This is an evil that both
of our countries know and have experienced over many years. We
are committed to redoubling our efforts, both in our own countries
and abroad, to dealing with it.
So, José
Maria, many thanks indeed for being here. We will have more talks
later this evening. There will be an interlude for a certain match,
the merits of which we will not go into at the press conference,
but we are looking forward to that. Once again, many, many thanks
for all you have done over these past few weeks and months; it
has been of tremendous support and assistance.
Prime
Minister Aznar:
Good evening
everyone. I would like to thank Prime Minister Tony Blair for
his welcome, his hospitality, once again. Very briefly, I would
like to say to the Prime Minister that I would like to thank him
personally for the work he has been carrying out throughout these
last months and to congratulate him for the results of his work.
It is a political task that I have seen him carry out from close
up, so it is not a problem to recognise it. On the contrary, it
is a great satisfaction to be able to congratulate him.
I would like
to say firstly that I fully agree with what the Prime Minister
has said so I have not much to add to that. With regard to the
crisis originated by Iraq, I think we have done what we had to
do. We have been up to our responsibilities and obligations; we
have acted as good and loyal allies. We have known how to assume
the challenges, the threats it meant for international security.
At present, we are absolutely resolved to continue working together
as good and firm allies in order to guarantee security, to project
peace and security, not only for the Iraqis’ future, but for the
entire region.
From that
standpoint, I would like to say that Spain’s commitment is very
firm in all the processes, both political and in participating
in the reconstruction and stability processes in Iraq and in the
entire area. Secondly, as Prime Minister Blair has expressed,
I would like to join him about the agreement reached between Mr
Arafat and Mr Abu Mazen. We think it is a fundamental step as
we have said. We have had the opportunity to talk about this,
and to intervene in a most positive way. All of which has given
rise to a whole set of expectations for security and stability
in the region, new expectations for peace and peaceful coexistence
between two states in a harmonious way with security and with
freedom both for Israel and Palestine. Our commitment and our
determination is total and we have been working on this for a
long time very intensively. We are going to continue doing so.
Thirdly, I
would like to say I fully share the Prime Minister’s words with
regard to the anti-terrorist struggle. As he said, it is a problem
we know well. It is one of the world’s greatest problems and we
are fully resolved to face up to it. Spain, at present, chairs
the Anti -Terrorist Committee of the United Nations and we received
the baton from the United Kingdom in the committee. We will continue
working as hard as we can so that, from the standpoint of legislation,
financing and commitment of states against terrorism, we can free
the world of one of its most terrible scourges, which we assume
is one of our responsibilities as well. I just wanted to say that
in this, we were also in agreement.
In the meeting
we have held, thanks to globalisation – the expression of globalisation
is good communications, and thanks to them – we have held a very
positive meeting with President Bush. I would like to reiterate
my testimony of gratitude to Prime Minister Blair and recognition
and congratulations for the work and his success.
Question:
Prime Ministers,
I think you both have in common the fact that you have both had
to battle against pretty hostile public opinion in your own countries
against your policy towards Iraq. Even now, you are both, to a
greater or lesser degree, continuing to face opposition. Prime
Minister Blair, can I ask you, what do you say to those critics
who say to you that, despite what you have just said about Iraq
stabilising, what you have left behind is a mess and a recipe
for long-term anarchy? And what do you propose to do about one
critic in particular, George Galloway, who you have already said
is a disgrace?
Prime
Minister Blair:
In relation
to George Galloway, I think this may be the subject of legal proceedings.
I do not think it is right for me to comment on that; I do not
want to intervene. I have made my views clear on what he had to
say during the war, but on the allegations in the newspapers,
I do not think it would be right for me to comment on that.
In respect
of public opinion, this was a tough battle; it was always going
to be. Let me say once again, I do not disrespect anybody who
took a different point of view, but what I always had in my mind
was the nature of this regime. When you read the details of the
torture chambers, the prisons, the thousands upon thousands of
people that Saddam killed, far more than any coalition action
could ever do, then I think, even if people have disagreed with
us going to war, they can at least see that the Iraqi people have
greater freedom and greater hope today than they had in the years
under Saddam. We have not left. We are going to help Iraq get
on its feet, make use of the prodigious talent of the Iraqi people
and let the Iraqi people create in Iraq a country of greater democracy,
freedom and prosperity. They can do that and we will help them
do that. So, for people who are still criticising us today, I
just ask them: wait until you make your final judgement; wait
and see whether we carry out the commitment we have given to Iraqi
people not to desert them, but to help them. If we do, and if
Iraq then becomes the country I believe that it can, then I hope
even those that have opposed us, will at least recognise that
our motives were sincere and our actions after the conflict have
borne some testimony to that.
Prime
Minister Aznar:
The advantage
of democracies is that we can all have our opinion on what the
government does and that is an asset of democracy, and that cannot
be done anywhere where there is not a democracy. In Iraq, after
25 or 30 years, for the first time, part of the Shia population
have been pilgrims in cities very important to them. That is because
they have the freedom to do so. I think that the public citizens,
who often have a different view from that of governments, in the
end, what they do not accept is irresponsibility. A government
may have to take difficult decisions, but they always have to
think of everyone’s security and safety. That is something that
citizens, in the end, understand.
Ever since
I was small I learnt from a British Prime Minister whose portrait
I saw coming up the stairs, Winston Churchill, that one has to
be up to one’s responsibilities and I think that is something
citizens appreciate.
Question:
Do you think
that the sanctions should be lifted quickly? Do inspectors have
to return, in your opinion, in order for sanctions to be lifted?
Also, could you give a brief reflection on Iraq’s political future?
Iraq has to be democratic. Does this exclude the possibility of
it being an Islamic state, in your opinion?
Prime
Minister Blair:
First of all,
in relation to sanctions, of course we want to see them lifted
as soon as possible. We are beginning the whole process of trying
to identify the possible sites where there are weapons of mass
destruction. I have no doubt at all that we need some independent
verification of that process at that particular time. Exactly
how that is done, as I have said before, should be discussed with
the United Nations and with other key allies.
In relation
to the political future of Iraq, the basic principle has to be
this: it has to be, first of all, an interim authority that is
genuinely representative of the Iraqi people, and then there will
be – I have no doubt – out of that a new Iraqi constitution that,
again, the Iraqi people should draw together. I think there will
be many debates and many questions that they have, but it is surely
better that they have the chance to decide their own future today
than the situation there has been for the past 25, 30 or more
years where they have had no opportunity to decide their future
at all.
Prime
Minister Aznar:
I substantially
agree on the first and second part. It is a matter of building
a political community. It is not the task of the coalition or
the United Nations to build a religious community. I think one
of the most significant things is that, in Iraq, there was not
a state, but a despotic, personal regime. Now, it is a question
of building the foundations of a truly democratic state with plurality
corresponding to its condition.
Question:
Do you see
any reason now why the Middle East Roadmap cannot be published
immediately?
Prime
Minister Blair:
No, absolutely.
It will be published as soon as the formalities for the cabinet
have gone through. We have said that when the Palestinian cabinet
is properly in power, that is when the Roadmap will be published,
and it will be. I hope people will see from that then that it
sets out a genuine way forward for the Middle East. I think that
one of the most positive things that can happen for the whole
of the Middle East is that people really see progress in the Middle
East Peace Process and that they recognise that a more stable
and prosperous Iraq in only one part of a vision for the Middle
East of greater freedom for people, greater prosperity and greater
opportunity for peaceful coexistence between people of different
faiths.
Question:
I have a question
for both of you. Have you analysed in your conversations the current
relations between France and the United States, especially after
the statements by Colin Powell, and whether, in any case, it would
be necessary for either of you or both of you to mediate?
Prime
Minister Blair
The relations
between two countries are relations for themselves. I am sure
they will be able to handle any discussions they need to have
in their own way. I think that is the best thing to say to you.
But I hope very much that we can come to a clear understanding
that the world works best when Europe and America are partners
together – where we are not rivals, but partners – because if
we do work in the spirit of partnership, I think the world is
more secure and I think the opportunities to destabilise the world
are significantly diminished. On the individual relations between
countries, if you will forgive me, that is a matter for them.
Prime
Minister Aznar:
I agree, and
I have to say that I am convinced that our efforts towards a common
understanding in any positive proposals to solve our current problem
of stabilising and guaranteeing the future of Iraq were always
positive. Any contribution and any effort is necessary. Sometimes
we may have different positions. Sometimes some feelings may rise
along the way, but what is truly important is the will to have
common understanding and to strengthen these relationships, which
are so important for the world’s peace and security. I think Europe
has two vital, strategic decisions to take: one, to open up economically
to the world; and, secondly, to have good allies. Our security
and our prosperity lie in that, and also, to a certain degree,
the world’s. I trust we will be able to do so.