Iraqi People Need To Take Initiative, Says Kurd Official

By Rob Sanna-Talk Radio News Service

The Chief of Staff for the President of the Kurdistan Regional Government, located predominantly in northern Iraq, called upon the U.S. to take a less dominant role as the Iraqi government forms.

“The United States must not take the initiative in forming the Iraqi government, that’s not good for the United States, and its not good for Iraq,” said Fuad Hussein during a discussion with the Atlantic Council in D.C. Friday.

“But if we take the initiative… It is important to have the UN there and also the United States…the ground must be well prepared for negotiations,” Hussein added.

It is his belief that the U.S. should act more as an arbitrator to help bring the political parties of Iraq together, and have a very limited role in determining policy. He did concede, however, that the U.S. is needed to provide security from terrorism, influence from neighboring countries like Iran and the division among Iraqi people.

“We can not secure [Iraq], the threat of terrorism is still there, intervention from various countries is still there, influence of various neighboring countries is still there, we are still divided until 2011… Security wise we need to have good relationships and agreements with the outside world,” said Hussein.