The son of Iraqi President Jalal Talabani was in Nashville (this afternoon/yesterday) speaking to civil engineers at Vanderbilt University about reconstruction efforts in his home country.
Qubad Talabani, who also represents the Kurdistan Regional Government, says that the state of Iraq is improving daily and that citizens there support the mission of U-S troops. He acknowledges that Americans are increasingly skeptical that the Iraqi people aren’t partnering with U-S forces. The diplomat says that’s because they only see the extremists in action.
“We have to ensure that that silent majority begins to stand up and participate in government, support the government of Iraq because ultimately we can have as well drawn out a security plan as possible. If it doesn’t have the local support of the Iraqis, citizens in Iraq, we will undoubtedly lead to failure.”
Talabani says he supports the presence of U-S troops, calling them the “only honest broker in the region.”
In reference to the large Kurdish population in Nashville, Talabani says that as conditions improve in Iraq he hopes they may one day consider returning to their home country.
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