Statement of an Iraqi Politician

As our country stands on the brink of having a leader elected under the democratic process of a free election, I would like to submit myself as a candidate. I stand on the following positions:

Our country has been invaded, and our government overthrown. I have no intention to continue the debate over whether this was justifiable at the time, or has turned out for good or ill. I merely stand on this being a fact of our current situation.

I believe that our current security forces, backed by a mandate from a clear majority of our own people, will be sufficient for maintaining the stability of our elected government, and will demand the immediate removal of occupying forces from our country. I will back this demand internally, and in the United Nations, with all available means.

Again without debating the justifications of damage done to our country, or the motivations of those nations who have contributed towards the rebuilding efforts, I will call for these reparation funds to be turned over to Iraqi control. These funds will then be used exclusively for the purpose for which they were collected, the rebuilding of our country, without generating profits for international corporate interests. While some nations may withdraw their future support of our efforts, I believe that such nations would be revealing that they do not honestly have our best interests at heart and we would be best served without them. The withdrawal of any funds already collected I would view as theft from the Iraqi people, and again would resist with all available means both internally and in the United Nations.

I will neither run for office on nor reveal my religious orientation. I run as a citizen of Iraq, and will govern as a citizen of Iraq. Should it be necessary to separate our country into separate sovereign states to accommodate the religious differences of our people I will oversee that process fairly, however I believe that we can work together as citizens of Iraq to restore our nation to its rightful freedom and place in the world.