In an interview with UN News, Mr. Mohamed Al Hassan, Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) and UNAMI chief, said the Mission’s end reflects how far Iraq has come since it was set up in 2003, when the country was emerging from decades of dictatorship, regional wars and the terror wrought by ISIL – known more widely in the Middle East as Da’esh.
“When UNAMI started, Iraq used to be a very different place than today”, he told UN News. Just days into the mission in August 2003 the UN came under attack at its Baghdad headquarters, leaving 22 staffers dead and over 100 wounded.
A truck bomb destroyed the United Nations headquarters in Baghdad on 19 August 2003.
Today, a new era has dawned: “With the sacrifices of the Iraqis first and foremost, and with international support, in particular the United Nations, Iraq believes it is ready to move to another phase, solidifying its sovereignty and territorial integrity. I wholeheartedly believe that Iraq is ready for that.”
UN Secretary-General António Guterres will travel to Baghdad to join Iraqis and the diplomatic community in marking the Mission’s closure – an event he called a clear signal that this is “mission accomplished”.
Democratic progress
Mr. Al Hassan said Iraq’s recent political developments underscore how dramatically the country has stabilised.
The parliamentary elections held in November, which UNAMI supported, were widely viewed as among the most credible to date. With a 56 per cent voter turnout, they were also a demonstration of renewed public engagement.
“It was the most fair, free and peaceful elections,” he said. “When you see an election that fair and democratic, you know that that’s a belief in a new Iraq.”
Municipal officials from around the country, including in Northeast Pennsylvania, are objecting to a proposal to increase the weight limits on tractor trailers (Citizens’ Voice file) 