IV 

110TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 688 

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives concerning the creation 

of federal regions in Iraq. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

SEPTEMBER 27, 2007 

Mr. GALLEGLY submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 

Committee on Foreign Affairs 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives 

concerning the creation of federal regions in Iraq. 

Whereas Iraq continues to experience a self-sustaining cycle 

of sectarian violence; 

Whereas the ongoing sectarian violence presents a threat to 

regional and world peace, and the long-term security interests of the United States are best served by an Iraq 

that is stable, not a haven for terrorists, and not a threat 

to its neighbors; 

Whereas the central focus of al Qaeda in Iraq has been to 

turn sectarian divisions in Iraq into sectarian violence 

through a concentrated series of attacks, the most significant being the destruction of the Golden Dome of the 

Shia al-Askariyah Mosque in Samarra in February 2006; 


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•HRES 688 IH 

Whereas Iraqis must reach a comprehensive and sustainable 

political settlement in order to achieve stability and reduce violence; 

Whereas Article One of the Constitution of Iraq declares Iraq 

to be a ‘‘single, independent federal state’’; 

Whereas Section Five of the Constitution of Iraq declares 

that the ‘‘federal system in the Republic of Iraq is made 

up of a decentralized capital, regions, and governorates, 

and local administrations’’ and enumerates the expansive 

powers of regions and the limited powers of the central 

government and establishes the mechanisms for the creation of new federal regions; 

Whereas the federal system created by the Constitution of 

Iraq would give Iraqis local control over their police and 

certain laws, including those related to employment, education, religion, and marriage; 

Whereas the Constitution of Iraq recognizes the administrative role of the Kurdistan Regional Government in three 

northern Iraqi provinces, known also as the Kurdistan region; 

Whereas the Kurdistan region, recognized by the Constitution 

of Iraq, is largely stable and peaceful; 

Whereas the Iraqi Parliament approved a federalism law on 

October 11, 2006, which establishes procedures for the 

creation of new federal regions and will go into effect 18 

months after approval; 

Whereas despite their differences, Iraq’s sectarian and ethnic 

groups support the unity and territorial integrity of Iraq; 

and 

Whereas Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki stated on November 27, 2006, ‘‘[t]he crisis is political, and the ones 


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•HRES 688 IH 

who can stop the cycle of aggravation and bloodletting of 

innocents are the politicians’’: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That it is the sense of House of Representa2 tives that— 

3 (1) the United States should actively support a 

4 political settlement in Iraq based on the final provi5 sions of the Constitution of Iraq that create a fed6 eral system of government and allow for the creation 

7 of federal regions, consistent with the wishes of the 

8 Iraqi people and their elected leaders; 

9 (2) the active support referred to in paragraph 

10 (1) should include— 

11 (A) calling on the international community, 

12 including countries with troops in Iraq, the per13 manent five members of the United Nations Se14 curity Council, members of the Gulf Coopera15 tion Council, and Iraq’s neighbors— 

16 (i) to support an Iraqi political settle17 ment based on federalism; 

18 (ii) to acknowledge the sovereignty 

19 and territorial integrity of Iraq; and 

20 (iii) to fulfill commitments for the ur21 gent delivery of significant assistance and 

22 debt relief to Iraq, especially those made 

23 by the member states of the Gulf Coopera24 tion Council; 


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•HRES 688 IH 

1 (B) further calling on Iraq’s neighbors to 

2 pledge not to intervene in or destabilize Iraq 

3 and to agree to related verification mechanisms; 

4 and 

5 (C) convening a conference for Iraqis to 

6 reach an agreement on a comprehensive polit7 ical settlement based on the federalism law ap8 proved by the Iraqi Parliament on October 11, 

9 2006; 

10 (3) the United States should urge the Govern11 ment of Iraq to quickly agree upon and implement 

12 a law providing for the equitable distribution of oil 

13 revenues, which is a critical component of a com14 prehensive political settlement based upon fed15 eralism; 

16 (4) the steps described in paragraphs (1), (2), 

17 and (3) could lead to an Iraq that is stable, not a 

18 haven for terrorists, and not a threat to its neigh19 bors; and 

20 (5) nothing in this resolution should be con21 strued in any way to infringe on the sovereign rights 

22 of the nation of Iraq. 

Æ 


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