policy
The political landscape is heading toward a critical milestone with the turning of the page on foreign military presence, as Prime Minister and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Ali Faleh Al-Zaidi outlined the features of the coming era during a speech on Sovereignty Day on September 30. He emphasized that the country is transitioning into a new epoch where national decision-making is liberated and the need for regional and international conflict arenas is eliminated. Reviewing past challenges, he noted that the immense sacrifices made by the people were the result of proliferating weapons and multiple factions, which turned the homeland into a theater for others, while presenting new horizons for centralizing arms under the official institution and possessing full sovereignty over lands free of foreign troops. Al-Zaidi extended special greetings to the Supreme Religious Authority for its historic and decisive role in protecting the country, while deeply recalling the merits of martyrs, the injured, and the sacrifices of the armed forces, including the army, police, counter-terrorism service, Popular Mobilization Forces, and Peshmerga forces. The Prime Minister also appreciated the stances of national forces that placed their formations under the command of the Commander-in-Chief, directing a direct and impactful appeal to those who bore arms in defense of the homeland to be an integral part of the state's apparatus and institutions. He urged that their extensive expertise serve as a qualitative addition to the country under the umbrella of a single national doctrine, one flag, and a central military decision, stressing that the state does not marginalize its citizens but rather organizes their energies within the frameworks of the constitution and law under the national sovereignty equation. In additional details reflecting his personal commitment to national responsibility, Al-Zaidi revealed his decision not to receive any salary or financial allocations throughout his tenure, considering official positions to be duties rather than personal gains. He emphasized the ongoing governmental determination to protect national wealth, safeguard public funds, and confront all economic and developmental challenges to serve citizens, concluding his speech by affirming that Iraq will remain a sovereign, united nation loyal to the sacrifices of its great people.
