Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi declared on Saturday (December 9th) the lifting of the flag of Iraq over all the territory of the country, stressing the liberation of the entire territory of Iraq. The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Haider al-Abbadi said in a speech on the occasion of the victory over the organization ” the terrorist ISIS”, “Honorable Iraqis : your land has been completely liberated and the dream of liberation is now a reality that your occupied cities and villages have returned to the bosom of the homeland and the dream of liberation has become a reality and in our hands,” explaining, “We have accomplished a very difficult mission in difficult conditions and we won with the help of God and the steadfastness of our people and the bravery of our heroic forces, and with the blood of martyrs and the wounded, our land has achieved a historic victory. He added ” “For three years, your heroic forces have entered cities and villages one after the other, and the Iraqi fighter fought a courageous fight that terrified the enemy and pleased the friend and surprised the world ,” stressing “This is the reality of the Iraqi who conquers the challenges and wins in the most difficult and hard circumstances. He called on politicians to , In his speech, assume their responsibilities in maintaining security and stability and prevent the return of terrorism again, urging them to refrain from returning to inflammatory and sectarian discourse, which was a major reason to enable the terrorist “ISIS” for the occupation and destruction of cities. He touched on the issue of fighting widespread corruption in the country Abadi stressed that it will be a usual extension for the operations of liberation, it is another fight and all must take part in it seriously. Abadi stressed on the opening of a new page of cooperation with all Arab and neighboring countries and the world on the basis of respect for national sovereignty and the exchange of interests and non-interference in the internal affairs. Abadi added “We declare to our people and the whole world that the courageous heroes arrived to the last strongholds of ISIS and cleansed it and raised the flag of Iraq over areas of western Anbar, which was the last Iraqi occupied land , “noting that” the flag of Iraq flying high today over all Iraqi territory and the farthest border point. ” Not only won in the battle to liberate Iraq from the terrorist organization ISIS but also won the battle to maintain unity of Iraq when stood strongly and courageously against the referendum of the Kurdistan region, which was aimed at secession from Iraq, he is really a man of liberation and national unity In this context we ask two questions : the first , Is it not possible for the ones who liberated Iraq and preserved its unity to complete its march in rebuilding the Iraqi state ?
Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi has registered several successes in dealing with internal and external crises since he took office in the summer of 2014, making him one of the most difficult figures in the Iraqi, regional and international political equation, especially as an acceptable leading figure in Iraq and abroad characterized by its flexibility in administration and policy especially in his policy in the war against the ISIS and liberation of Iraq from it, and the management of internal and regional crises.
On the security side, Haidar al-Abadi, the commander-in-chief of the Iraqi armed forces, was able to confront the “security cancer” the terrorist organization ISIS and defeated it from the various Iraqi provinces and clearing the Western deserts of the remnants of an oppressive organization ISIS. On the economic side, Haider al-Abadi raised the slogan of fighting corruption in all parts of the Iraqi state. There is a noticeable improvement in the performance of the Iraqi ministries, such as the Ministry of Industry, Social Affairs, Electricity and Oil. At the social level, according to a poll conducted by the Washington Institute in June this year in Anbar , Salah al-Din and Mosul provinces that Haider Abadi has the confidence of Iraqi citizens in those provinces and that the people of those provinces put their optimism and confidence on him . According to the poll, Abadi will determine the fate of Iraq in the post-ISIS era if he succeeds in investing this wave of confidence in his leadership. More than 70% of the Sunnis and 60% of Shiites support Abadi. In addition, 50% of the Sunnis in general and 53% of those under the control of Da’ash support a second term for Abadi, compared to 35% among Shiites. This confidence in Abadi led two-thirds of the population of Mosul to favor any governor appointed by him; even he is from the Shiite community, to the current governor of Mosul. This great confidence in Abadi and his leadership also led the vast majority of the population of Mosul to reject any sort of very decentralized federal settlement for the future administration of their city. They prefer to remain part of the federal Iraqi state and reject any call for any other proposed settlement along the lines of the proposal of the semi-autonomous region. In the same context, more than 80% of the Sunnis, especially those who have experienced life under the control of “Da’ash”, want the Iraqi army and police to be the main security forces in their areas, not local tribal forces. The positive message that Abadi succeeded in conveying to the inhabitants of the liberated areas is that the state, while in its weakest form and most volatile stage, is still the only party capable of protecting its citizens. On the side of the emphasis on the unity of Iraqi soil, Haider Abadi confirmed his total rejection of the results of the referendum in Iraqi Kurdistan, and not only that, but took practical measures to avoid it. On the side of maintaining the territorial integrity of Iraq, Haider al-Abadi strongly stood against the referendum on the secession of the Kurdistan region.
As for the importance of the Arab dimension in the foreign policy of Haidar Abadi’s government, it is very clear. As a man of state in Iraq, Abadi is deeply aware that the Arab countries and the Arab identity form the strategic depth that is very difficult to dispense with. He said in his speech at the recent Arab summit in Amman “that Iraq is one of the Arab countries that contributed to the establishment of the League of Arab States where Iraq was one of the Arab countries that attended the Arab Conference held in Alexandria in 1944, which was known historically Protocol of Alexandria in 1944, which paved the way for the establishment of the League of Arab States on 22 March 1945. The importance of the Arab dimension in Iraqi politics is also evident when Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi called on all Arab countries to participate in the reconstruction and stability efforts in the provinces after purging Iraq from an oppressive organization ISIS. In this context, Haider al-Abadi pursued the policy of openness and rapprochement with the Arab countries. He visited Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Egypt, and these visits are only practical evidence that Iraq is not deviating from its Arab depth. This Arab-Iraqi rapprochement will undoubtedly reflect positively on all Economic, military, security and diplomatic levels between the two sides and opens a new page for inter-Arab cooperation. The Turkish-Iraqi relations have also been closer lately despite the tension that has soured relations between the two countries against the backdrop of the “Baasika camp.” Haidar al-Abadi is well aware that relations between countries do not go in a straight line. On the international level, Haidar al-Abadi has enjoyed international support since he came to govern Iraq. He is supported by the United States of America, both in the era of the former US administration and the current US administration, and supported by the European Union, particularly Germany and France.
In the wake of Haidar al-Abadi’s achievements at the domestic and foreign levels, the US foreign policy journal, which specializes in international and international affairs, has named Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi as one of the most prominent international thinkers of the year. An American professor and international thinker Fukuyama described an author of many works in economy and Politics in a commentary on the choice of Prime Minister Haider Abadi in the list of foreign policy of the world thinkers of 2017, saying that Iraq may turn into an unexpected success story. And the journal indicated according to an article by American writer David Kaniar that Abadi was able to return Iraq united. And it pointed out that Abadi has faced the most difficult work in the complex map of the Middle East, making his achievements remarkable successes never seen before, and over the past years managed to expel a terrorist organization ISIS from all Iraqi cities, and despite of this , he launched the largest plan to carry out the widest campaign to counter the corruption in the sectors and institutions of the state, and also thanks to the Abadi in preventing Iraq to be pulled or make Iraq the arena for regional conflicts to draw the internal political map, and Abadi managed based on his political wisdom to collect Iraq’s ethnic and ethnic and religious components , which suffered a lot, and according to this wisdom , the political opponents were not able to abort it , and then the fruits of those political wisdom came. It explained that Abadi’s attempt to keep Iraq united requires him to fight more than just the terrorists. and in October, after the Kurds held a referendum on independence, he launched a successful operation to restore the oil-rich Kirkuk region from the Peshmerga and extended the olive branch ” peace hand ” to the Kurds and preserve their lives and said on Oct.17 as a response to the events experienced by Kurds : ” Any attack on the Kurds is an attack on us,” . “These movements are a higher example of the wisdom philosophy of the Abadi , and it is difficult to overstate the revolutionary nature of his approach to Iraq.
In this context, the Spanish-language El Pais, a Spanish newspaper widespread and in Spain and Europe interested in the Iraqi affair, described Haider al-Abadi as a “man of the stage” and became a “national leader”, attributing the reason that he achieved what seemed impossible and closed the doors of sectarianism. The newspaper said in a report, “Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, a man of the stage, and he has widespread support for the fight against ISIS.” The newspaper adds that “Abadi achieved what seemed impossible, and re-built the armed forces that expelled ISIS from the areas seized by it three years ago,” noting that “Iraqi forces in the era of Abadi restored land seized by Peshmerga Kurdistan region of Iraq as a result of chaos.” The newspaper said that “Abadi became a national leader, where he generated an extraordinary consensus,” explaining that “the way he worked in the restoration of Mosul and Kirkuk, and his policy conveyed to the Iraqis the idea that he works for everyone.” The newspaper pointed out that “Abadi stressed the need for the unity of all communities, and limited the excesses of armed groups.”
The second question that arises in this context is how Haidar al-Abadi gained his popularity in Iraq and respect of the Arab, regional and international countries until he became the next state man for Iraq?
From his vision of a post- ISIS Iraq, a phase of construction consisting of a series of steps can be outlined by seven interrelated points that do not advance or separate from each other and must go together in a serious dialogue and community reconciliation that will end the page of terrorism and the effects of destruction, displacement and crimes against humanity. The aim of this vision is to restore security, stability and basic services through what he called the restoration of stability and enable the displaced to return to their homes and their participation in the construction and rebuilding of what was destroyed by Dahesh, and to take care of the families of the martyrs and the wounded and the fighters who sacrificed their blood in defense of the homeland and those affected by terrorismand the rehabilitation of the society to eliminate the effects of ISIS and the culture of violence and hatred, and the mobilization of all national efforts to achieve these national and humanitarian goals ».
And the commitment to respect the other and peaceful coexistence with all partners in the homeland who are different in religions, doctrine and intellectuality and respect their sanctities, and the protection of minorities and the sanctity of places of worship for all religions and sects, and this is the basis for community reconciliation”. And not to allow the return of the cases and manifestations of anomalies that prevailed in Iraq in the pre-occupation of the ISIS of the cities, a state of incitement and tension and hateful sectarian and national strife at the expense of the highest interests of the country, and this contributed to the empowerment of ISIS to occupy cities and provinces.
Therefore it is obligatory to be committed with the speech the establishes the spirit of citizenship and calls for the unity and cooperation and not allow for ISIS or any terrorist and criminal organization to return again and covering it in the liberated cities or allow to grow new terrorist cells explaining that “the fourth point
Is the importance of establishing good neighborly relations based on mutual interests with neighboring and regional countries,” and working with our national will and our independent Iraqi decision and not to pledge our will and our positions abroad in terms of our issues and our national interest.
And arms must be put in the hands of the state and abolish armed manifestations once and for all and respect the decisions of the judiciary and the rule of law in all parts of the state and society, which is the fifth point in our vision of post-liberation and victory ». He pointed out that «the sixth point is to continue with all strength and determination and with the cooperation of all to fight corruption in all its forms and images because it is the largest incubator of terrorism and crime. And the exclusion of state institutions and departments from political interference and quotas and not to take positions of responsibility and public functions in order to achieve justice ».
This vision, which allowed it to implement, is capable to rebuild Iraq in all areas, Iraq, which reached the ranks of failed state. Haidar Abadi with the real desired change whether on the internal or external level , at the first level, Abadi seeks to bring Iraq out of its dark tunnel by re-establishing national cohesion and consolidating the policy of coexistence among its social components, rejecting the sectarian approach to practicing governance in Iraq and fighting corruption and arming the state by law. Preventing from working out of it or harming state security. Haider Abadi with “community reconciliation” in his opinion , it is more comprehensive than the national reconciliation required in turn between the parties and sects, community reconciliation enters into every house of Iraq in which the terrorism and Takfiri thinking tried to distort the beliefs and raise hatred within each Iraqi family and clan.
At the external level, he is with the policy of openness and rapprochement between Iraq and the Arab world, and against the policies of axis and polarization. And to establish good relations with the regional and international environment at the political, economic and trade levels. At the external level, the Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi is looking forward in the post-victory phase on the ISIS, according to Iraqi observers, that Iraq to be a meeting place between the international and regional rivals, not the arena of conflict between them. This was manifested in his visit to Saudi Arabia, Iran and Kuwait, under the title “cooperation to eliminate ISIS” noting that he has visited USA a few months earlier and met the US president Donald Trump . The visit was fruitful and it was recognized that Iraq was expelled from the US travel ban countries. The visit focused on the Trump plan to defeat ISIS and the role of Iraq in it , in which Abadi learned that It Is not different from his predecessor Obama’s plan, and therefore there is no change in US policy toward Iraq and is based on working to reduce the Iranian influence on Baghdad, as the previous administration has pursued.
August 11, 2014 was not an ordinary date of Haider al-Abadi but an important historical station in his life and in the history and future of Iraq. Abadi is the best person to put forward the issue of reconciliation, reform and change, as he is familiar with everything in the country. Abadi’s vision is closer to the Iraqi reality, if his vision is achieved in Iraq, you will be in front of a statesman in a post-ISIS Iraq.
Iraqi Studies Unit
Rawabet Center for Research and Strategic Studies