Chaldean National Congress: Salah alDeen Meeting of IO

Not Up To Expectations

San Diego - March 4, 2003

A Chaldean National Congress official stated his reservations on the results of the recent meeting of the Coordination and Follow-Up Committee of the Iraqi Opposition held recently in Salah alDeen in Iraqi Kurdistan. The meeting ended up without the expansion of that committee as was previously anticipated to be more inclusive of members of other Iraqi political groups, among them representatives of the Chaldeans, the third largest ethnic group in Iraq. The current make up of the committee is marked by the absence of any Chaldean personality out of the million plus Chaldeans inside and outside Iraq.

At the same time, the Chaldean official praised the final press release of that meeting and called it “realistic and wide-ranging” as reflected in its analysis of the dangers facing our Iraqi people and the means of ridding our people off the dictatorship as well as the methods of building the new future Iraq through the participation of all its inhabitants in their different ethnicities and religions.

The Chaldean source declared his satisfaction with the wordings of the final press release of the Coordination and Follow-Up Committee which refereed in a clear and unambiguous way to the Chaldeans, unlike the final press release of the London conference of the Iraqi Opposition which did not include a clear statement to our Chaldean people. He considered that as a positive step indicating a new interaction with the emerging Chaldean nationalist movement. That is and despite its listing of the Chaldeans in the fifth order in contrast to their correct percentage of the Iraqi population.

Also, surprising was the absence of any reference to the Chaldeans in the speech given by Dr. Ahmad alChalabi, a member of the leading committee of the Iraqi Opposition, and considered that as “troubling”. That is in contrast to the stated support of the representatives of the Iraqi National Congress for the just cause of our Chaldean people in guaranteeing our ethnic, political, and cultural rights in the new Iraqi constitution. A support made clear in their meeting with representatives of the Chaldean National Congress.

The source also considered the refusal of the Coordination and Follow Up committee to expand its membership and its creation of several subcommittees dedicated to running the new Iraqi state, as troubling and unacceptable moves. Such acts are intended to close the door on any meaningful Chaldean participation in the political decision making process of the new Iraqi State. Hence, attempting to downplay the role of the Iraqi Chaldeans and degrade our people’s independent will in creating its own future and with the full participation of other components of the Iraqi society.

The Chaldean official called upon our people to double their efforts towards the attainment of our just rights through increasing their support of the rising Chaldean nationalist movement and the Chaldean National Congress. He also called upon the Coordination and Follow-Up Committee to reconsider its position towards the representation of the Chaldeans in its ranks. He reminded the committee that the building of the new federal, democratic, and multi-faceted Iraq could not be created without the full participation of the representatives of one million Chaldeans. Keeping in mind that our heroic people and throughout their history, and despite the repression they were subjected to, never shied away from giving thousands of martyrs in defending the homeland and ridding it off the dictatorial regimes and for prosperity and glory of all Iraqis.