Prime Minister Barzani’s Condolence Message
Dr. Chalabi led the Iraq National Congress and was a former Iraqi deputy prime minister and acting oil minister. He headed various national committees and was the current head of the Iraq Parliament Finance Committee.
In his message, Prime Minister Barzani said, “the people of the Kurdistan Region have lost one of their great and compassionate friends.”
The following is the text of the message:
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
The news of the passing of the great Iraqi politician, and our dear friend, Dr. Ahmad Chalabi, made us deeply sad. We express our condolences to the family of Dr. Ahmad Chalabi, the dear Iraqi people, the presidency of Iraq National Congress, and all his colleagues in the Iraq Parliament. We offer our sympathy on losing a beloved Iraqi human being.
Dr. Ahmad Chalabi was a great and compassionate friend of Kurdistan, as well as a great supporter of the legitimate rights of the Kurdish people. His friendship emanated from a historic relation between his family and the leader of the Kurdistan Revolution, Mustafa Barzani. Later, he established a very strong relation with my late father, Idris Barzani.
The people of Kurdistan will not forget Dr. Chalabi’s efforts during the 1990s, through his broad relations, to halt the fighting between the Kurdistan Democratic Party, KDP, and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, PUK, by limiting the conflict, bringing peace, and assisting the Kurdistan Region. His effective role will remain in our memory forever.
Dr. Chalabi played a great role in uniting Iraqi opposition groups and overthrowing the Ba’ath Regime. He was a source of hope for making a democratic and prosperous Iraq, tirelessly working to unite all Iraqis through building sustainable agreements with all sides.
He had very strong relations with all the sides, including Kurdistan Region President Masoud Barzani and Iraq President Jalal Talabani.
The political career of Dr. Ahmad Chalabi is very rich in talent and persistent effort toward greater coexistence and democracy. We hope that all of us benefit from his example and experience.
May God bless Dr. Ahmed Chalabi.
Nechirvan Barzani
Prime Minister
Kurdistan Regional Government
3 November 2015
