UN General Assembly
2008

because, as a neighbouring country, we are affected by the negative and positive developments there. We have always stressed the need to preserve the unity of the people of Iraq, its territorial integrity, non-interference in its internal affairs and the need to preserve its sovereignty, independence, its Arab and Islamic identity, and to oppose the calls to divide it. We have repeatedly declared that the solution in Iraq begins with national reconciliation built on the principle of respect for the will of all Iraqis. We have reiterated the need for foreign troops to withdraw from Iraq in line with agreements reached with the Iraqi Government. We have always condemned all terrorist acts committed in Iraq, resulting in the deaths of many innocent civilians. We believe that the stability that Iraq longs for requires an Iraqi consensus to overcome the obstacles barring its realization. It is regrettable that the abnormal circumstances that prevailed in Iraq as a result of the United States invasion in 2003 have prompted a great number of Iraqis to leave their country in pursuit of safety and