The years of living dangerously

Soma carries a frank article by Dr Latif Rashid, Minister of Water Resources in Iraq. The minister argues that The Iraqi people are free, and they are undergoing a democratic process. Last year, we had three elections in Iraq. Second, even with the violence, the standard of living for Iraqis has risen tremendously. Iraq is no longer isolated from the international community, and it has begun to tackle the rebuilding of its infrastructures. Iraqis are investing money in rebuilding their country and society, rather than spending on endless wars. Today, the Iraqi people are free to organize themselves in political parties, and they can express their views through mass media – the large number of newspapers and TV stations that have sprung up in the country since 2003. Obviously, there are still a lot of difficulties in Iraq, the social, economic and security problems all need to be solved.

He also examines the Iraqi Kurds’ commitment to a federal solution.