Al-Kazemi: I dance with the snakes daily and look for a flute to control them

The Iraqi Prime Minister, Mustafa Al-Kazemi, warned against forcing him to achieve an "impossible" balance between the United States and Iran in Iraq, saying, "I dance daily with snakes, but I am looking for a pipe to control them," according to the British newspaper " The Guardian ".

During his European tour this week, Al-Kazemi urged Europe to help his country's debt-ridden economy. Al-Kazemi, a British citizen and former journalist, assumed the premiership last June after unprecedented protests against corruption.  "Since taking office, he has governed with a simple program to conduct early elections, improve security performance, and prevent the collapse of the oil-based economy," the Guardian says, referring to his "slow" changes in the security and economic institutions.

In a press briefing after his meeting with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, he pledged that elections in Iraq would take place on June 6, saying that "the election date is indisputable, and we are committed to it."

A thousand years of debate
Some accuse Al-Kazemi of moving with extreme caution, but he told reporters that patience is better than being drawn into bloody chaos and civil war, adding, "A thousand years of discussion is better than a moment of exchange of fire."  According to the Guardian, Al-Kazemi is trying to walk a compromise between the United States and Iran, saying: "I am on a rope between two tall buildings. I am not required to walk on a rope, but to ride a bicycle on the rope. I dance daily with snakes but I am looking for a flute to control snakes." .

Fears that Iraq would become the scene of a military confrontation between the United States and Iran before the US presidential elections, when Washington slowly reduced its 5,000 troops in Iraq, and last month threatened to close its embassy unless the Iraqi government curbed militias loyal to Iran. But the militias promised to cease fire if a timetable for the withdrawal of US forces appeared.

Al-Kazemi said that he is about sensitive negotiations regarding further withdrawals of US forces and the conditions for their redeployment after the US elections. He added, "Everyone is looking for an opportunity for dialogue. We are looking for an opportunity to overcome this sensitive issue and its repercussions, whoever is in the White House." Despite this, he noted that ISIS remains a daily threat to Iraq.

Meanwhile, he pledged to bring Iran-backed militias under control, telling reporters, "No weapons outside the control of the state will be allowed."  The Guardian referred to what Iraq witnessed last Saturday, “when loyalists of the Popular Mobilization Militia, backed by Iran, burned the headquarters of the Kurdistan Democratic Party in central Baghdad. At least eight citizens in Salah al-Din governorate were subjected to field executions at the hands of militias loyal to Iran, as well. Alleged. "

The British newspaper added, "It remains to be seen whether its security forces can put militias, such as Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq, under control, or whether state control will be just talk." Al-Kazemi believes that the lack of jobs, poor health services and corruption are what drives young people to militancy, adding that other countries such as Colombia have found a way to deal with militant groups.

Since coming to power, Al-Kazemi has published the White Paper that aims to reduce public wages from 25 percent of GDP to 12 percent. He added that the country's political class has become lazy through its dependence on oil.

During his tour in France, Germany and the United Kingdom, he described the white paper as a signal to foreign investors that he had a serious plan of three to five years to train Iraq not to be overly dependent on oil.

https://www.alhurra.com/iraq/2020/10/23/%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%83%D8%A7%D8%B8%D9%85%D9%8A-%D8%A3%D8%B1%D9%82%D8%B5-%D9%85%D8%B9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AB%D8%B9%D8%A7%D8%A8%D9%8A%D9%86-%D9%8A%D9%88%D9%85%D9%8A%D8%A7-%D9%88%D8%A3%D8%A8%D8%AD%D8%AB-%D9%85%D8%B2%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%B1-%D9%84%D9%84%D8%B3%D9%8A%D8%B7%D8%B1%D8%A9-%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%8A%D9%87%D9%85

The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kazemi, hinted at Colombia's experience in dealing with militant groups and insurgents. The British Guardian newspaper reported that Al-Kazemi during his visit to London, which concluded today, Friday, as part of a European tour that included France and Germany, that he is "about sensitive negotiations regarding further withdrawals of US forces, and the conditions for their redeployment after the US elections."

He added, "Everyone is looking for an opportunity for dialogue. We are looking for an opportunity to overcome this sensitive issue and its repercussions, whoever is in the White House."  Despite this, he indicated that ISIS still poses a daily threat to Iraq, and told reporters: "No weapons outside the control of the state will be allowed."

Fears escalated that Iraq would become the scene of a military confrontation between the United States and Iran before the US presidential elections, when Washington slowly reduced its 5,000 troops in Iraq, and last month threatened to close its embassy unless the government curbed armed factions, but these factions promised a ceasefire. If a timetable appears for the withdrawal of US forces.
Al-Kazemi believes that the lack of jobs, poor health services and corruption are what drives young people to militancy, "adding that" other countries such as Colombia have found a way to deal with militant groups. "
Since coming to power, Al-Kazemi has published the White Paper that aims to reduce public wages from 25 percent of GDP to 12 percent.

He added that the country's political class has become lazy through its dependence on oil. During his tour in France, Germany and the United Kingdom, he described the white paper as a signal to foreign investors that he had a serious plan of three to five years to train Iraq not to be overly dependent on oil. It is noteworthy that a bilateral peace agreement concluded by the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebels on 26 September 2016, ending a civil war that is the oldest and longest in Latin America, and its negotiations took more than four years.

The Marxist "FARC" organization, which emerged from a peasant revolt, began its armed struggle with the Colombian government in 1964, and over the decades, several extremist leftist rebellions participated in it, and it entered into a civil war that lasted 52 years with the Colombian army and extreme right-wing paramilitaries.
This war resulted - according to official Colombian figures - in the deaths of about 260 thousand people, the loss of 45 thousand people, and the displacement of 6.9 million others from their regions.

https://iraqakhbar.com/2718944