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Past Event

A Saban Center Statesman’s Forum

Iraq at a Crossroads with Barham Salih, Deputy Prime Minister of Iraq

Iraq, Middle East


Event Summary

On October 22, the Saban Center for Middle East Policy at Brookings hosted Deputy Prime Minister Barham Salih for a conversation on the challenges facing the Government of Iraq. Twice elected to parliament as a member of the Democratic Patriotic Alliance of Kurdistan list, the second largest parliamentary bloc, Salih has served in every Iraqi government since June 2004.

Event Information

When

Monday, October 22, 2007
11:30 AM to 1:00 PM

Where

Falk Auditorium
The Brookings Institution
1775 Massachusetts Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20036
Map

Contact: Brookings Office of Communications

E-mail: events@brookings.edu

Phone: 202.797.6105

Before joining the Iraqi government, Salih was Prime Minister of the Kurdistan regional government in Sulaimani for three years. In that role he worked closely with the United States and oversaw a period of economic growth and reconstruction.

Brookings Senior Fellow and Saban Center Director Martin Indyk moderated the discussion.

Transcript

Deputy Prime Minister Barham Salih:  We need to create a polity that will give all the communities of Iraq and key political constituencies a state in the success of this endeavor in Iraq. Iraq is a country in deep transition, profound transition. What has happened in Iraq was a paradigm shift, and I want to counsel against expectations of quick and easy solutions to the politics of the country because this is primarily a struggle about power and resources, and we are yet to reach the equilibrium and the balance that will give the stability and sustain stability that we need.

My hope is that with improved security environment, this struggle will go from the streets and from the car bombs, and from violence into one under the auspices of our parliament and to our political process. But nevertheless, we have some very key challenges that we need to do.

Participants

Introduction and Moderator

Martin S. Indyk

Director, Saban Center for Middle East Policy

Featured Speaker

Barham Salih

Deputy Prime Minister of Iraq