Talabani, talking to reporters upon arrival at Tehran’s Mehrabad International Airport, thanked Iranian officials for providing Iraq’s Governing Council with an opportunity to visit the Islamic Republic, stressing that the council preferred to discuss Iraq’s issues with Iran first, as it was the Islamic Republic that first recognized the council.
He expressed hope that he would have positive talks with Iranian officials on political, economic and security issues and would hence achieve successful results.
Talabani said the council has arrived at an agreement with the coalition troops in Iraq as well as representatives from Britain and the U.S. over the past two days to present an act to the coalition troops to set a date for future measures to hand over power to Iraqis.
The act, he said, proposes that free elections be held in
The occupiers, Talabani added, will leave
He further stressed that the Iraqi government is expected to be formed next June, and that the occupiers will have left the country by then.
Elsewhere in his remarks, Talabani blamed the prevailing insecurity in Iraq on a group comprising remnants of Saddam Hussein’s loyalists and elements of Ansar al-Islam and al Qaeda.
He stressed that Iraq’s Kurdistan is secure and that instability only exists in a small part of the country.
Talabani rejected speculations that Iraq’s future constitution is like that of the U.S., stressing that Iraq’s constitution is drafted by an expert committee and is directly approved by the people. He added that the constitution is based on national and Islamic values and is not at all similar to the U.S. Constitution.
Chairman of Iraq Governing Council further said that the occupation troops cannot establish security in
He emphasized that establishing security in Iraq is the right and the responsibility of the Iraqi people, stressing that it is only the Iraqi people, and not the U.S. troops, who are able to wipe out terrorists and loyalists to former dictator Saddam Hussein.
AA/SRM
END
MNA
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