Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2005-07-06-Speech-3-027"
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"en.20050706.2.3-027"2
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"Mr President, I should like to begin by congratulating Mr Dimitrakopoulos on the huge amount of work he has put into this complicated but extremely important issue.
After years of Saddam Hussein’s regime, the Iraqi people have now been given the opportunity to construct their country in a free and democratic way. The parliamentary election, which was conducted under great pressure from forces that were interested in neither democracy nor free elections, was the first step in the democratisation process. It was also a chance for politics to triumph over terrorism and violence, but that did not happen.
Even though a transitional government has been formed and work has begun on devising the new constitution, the security situation in Iraq has not been stabilised as it should have been. On the contrary, the situation is such that, for a long time to come, efforts will have to go on being made and a strong international presence will be required.
Obviously, the earlier Iraq itself guarantees security in the country, the better. On the basis of what we have learned from other conflicts in our own neighbourhood, for example the wars in the Balkans that I myself experienced, we cannot however expect any quick results. Constructing peace and democracy takes time and would do so even if all the forces in the country were well disposed towards these goals. Still more time is required in countries such as Iraq or Bosnia where there is a variety of groups opposing the democratisation process. We need time and patience, however, for, if we were not to show sufficient support for Iraq’s efforts at political democratisation or too quickly to withdraw the international forces from Iraq, we should be jeopardising the peace not only in Iraq itself but also in the surrounding region, and that is something we cannot afford to do. Therefore, our only alternative is to continue to support Iraq, both politically and through a strong international presence for as long as that is required.
Commissioner Ferrero-Waldner pointed out quite correctly that Europe now stands united in its efforts to rebuild Iraq. In my opinion, unification is precisely what would make it possible to stabilise the situation in Iraq and to overcome the problems we have there at present."@en1
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