Iraqi PM … well-spoken cockerel

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THE Iraqi Prime Minister, Mustafa Al-Kadhemi, is credited with his steadfastness in the face of a long series of challenges, and his ability to overcome many of them within 18 months.

It started with the election crisis that ended with the ruling of the Supreme Court, passed through the armed militias, their terrorist operations, and their killing of independent activists, up to the bombing of military bases, civilian and diplomatic headquarters, use of missiles from well-known sources, and an assassination attempt. Despite all that, he stood firm and worked hard on getting his country out of its predicament.

Such a type of man is relied upon when there is need for rescue. He is the firefighter when there is a need to put out political fires. He is the paramedic when it is necessary to heal a crisis. He is also a good reader of the political situation in his country. He comprehends the regional difficulties represented by the continuous Iranian interference, and the attempt to undermine the role of the Iraqi armed forces in an effort to maintain the militia’s sectarian influence like in the past.

Al-Kadhemi, who took it upon himself to move his country to stability at all costs, neither yielded to any threat nor compromised sovereignty or opened his country’s treasury to the corrupt. He resisted fiercely because he believes that an official must be up to the task entrusted to him or else he must step down in order to avoid exacerbating his country’s crises.

It is true that the results of the recent elections entail a series of procedures that end with the selection of a new prime minister. However, it must be emphasized that this difficult task would not have reached such an outcome if a weak figure was in the position of prime minister and was not be able to protect his authority from parliamentary overreach, or fortify the judiciary by liberating it from the constraints of sectarian militias that used to intimidate and threaten them to comply with what leaders dictate on to judges.

Al-Kadhemi did not retreat to the government headquarters. The threats did not intimidate him. He moved freely among the people, and closely monitored their affairs. Because of this, the man proved that he is the one qualified to go through difficult experiences, because he did not follow the paths of the many who preceded him in the position. He did not put himself up for personal interests, and he was decisive in his decisions.

Because of all this, Al-Kadhemi is deemed to be the figure trusted by the majority of his people, as well as by countries seeking to consolidate Iraq’s stability. The recent elections revealed the extent of the weakness of those betting on Iranian terrorism because they do not express the true feelings of Iraqis.

In this regard, when a journalist asked an Iraqi woman for her opinion about the regime of Saddam Hussein, she said, “Saddam killed our children, destroyed us, starved us, and deserted us”.

When she was asked about her opinion of who ruled Iraq before Al-Kadhemi, she replied, “May Almighty Allah blot their faces, because they have honored Saddam’s face”.

There is an Arab proverb that applies to Al-Kadhemi – The well-spoken cockerel crows out of the egg.

Within a year and a half, he was able to do what others failed to do for years. In fact, they only made matters worse in their countries.

By Ahmed Al-Jarallah

Editor-in-Chief, the Arab Times

This news has been read 21172 times!