Lukman Faily: Iraq seeks strong, enduring partnership with United States

Ambassador Lukman Faily penned an opinion piece in the San Jose Mercury News, discussing the current situation in Iraq and thanking the American people for all that they have done to help free Iraq from terrorism and tyranny. Ambassador Faily also reiterated that America has a no more committed Middle East partner than Iraq.

"Americans have made tremendous sacrifices, and they were not in vain. By working together, the US and Iraq can build a future with less violence, more prosperity, greater security and deeper democracy across the Middle East," said Ambassador Faily.

Iraq's Ambassador to the U.S. acknowledged that, "for Americans who have sacrificed so much blood and treasure in Iraq, recent headlines from the Middle East must be disheartening." Yet, Ambassador Faily is optimistic about the many new opportunities for U.S. partners in his country, as economic and diplomatic advancements in Iraq continue to flourish.

"Our recent purchase of 30 Boeing planes for our national carrier testifies to our potential as an importer of American goods, and we are paying with our own revenues. We are also in the process of purchasing more than $10 billion worth of US military equipment. As we move toward a market economy, Iraq offers Americans tremendous investment opportunities for developing and servicing schools, bridges and highways, healthcare, water treatment, telecommunications and much more," said Ambassador Faily.

To read the entire opinion piece at the San Jose Mercury News, click here.

For the Arabic version, click here.