• Military

• WMD Menu                           

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

13 December 2005

Ambassador Khalilzad Calls Iraqi Elections a "Defining Moment"

U.S. envoy to Iraq says coalition to play larger advisory role after elections

By Phillip Kurata
Washington File Staff Writer

Washington -- U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Zalmay Khalilzad says the legislative elections December 15 will be a defining moment for the future of Iraq.

Speaking to reporters in Baghdad, Iraq, December 13, Khalilzad said the United States urges all Iraqis to exercise their right to vote to elect the 275 members of the Council of Representatives, which will form the foundation for a permanent, democratic government.

"It's of great importance that everyone contributes in the political process.  Iraq cannot succeed if major communities do not participate," he said.

Khalilzad said the willingness of Iraq's Sunni Arab community to participate in the political process is growing and Sunni representation in the council will be dramatically larger than the 17 seats they held in the 275-seat Transitional National Assembly.

The ambassador said the United States does not support any particular candidate or party and condemns assassinations and efforts to intimidate voters.

Khalilzad said the coalition forces already have started discussions with the current government about the transfer of responsibility for security to Iraq.

"I anticipate specific agreements to be arrived at in the aftermath of the elections," he said.

The ambassador said the die-hard insurgents, who support a return of Saddam Hussein to power, and the terrorists, who believe in a war of civilizations, are becoming isolated from those who wish to participate in the political process.

Khalilzad praised the positive role played by Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in encouraging Iraq's Sunni Arabs to participate in the political process.

"[T]he regional environment as a net assessment has become more positive in my view compared to a few months ago," Khalilzad said.  "But the challenges remain, particularly with regard to Syria and to Iran."

In the next phase, the United States plans to expand its advisory assistance to the central government institutions, while "decreasing the military footprint" as circumstances permit, he said.

Khalilzad said the United States and its coalition partners plan to replicate the developmental model used in Afghanistan and deploy provincial reconstruction teams in the Iraqi provinces to try to increase the capacity of provincial governments and assist in the coordination between central and provincial authorities.

The ambassador called the recent revelations of prisoner abuse in Iraq a "serious issue" that will be investigated to determine the responsibility for what took place.

"This is unacceptable for this kind of abuse to take place," Khalilzad said.

He said U.S. officers are being deployed with Iraqi Interior Ministry forces to observe how raids are carried out and people are taken into custody.

For additional information, see Iraq’s Political Process.

(The Washington File is a product of the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)