“A new Marshall Plan for Iraq”

Last week I went to Washington and visited the place where George Marshall signed in 1947 the plan named after him. At that time, the plan was controversial but today nobody questions its interest. It would be enough to compare the current situation in Germany with that of 1945. Nowadays, the Middle East has the same strategic interest as Europe in 1945.
Last week I went to Brussels with an Iraqi delegation to help in the construction of my country. I met with George W. Bush and Tony Blair, and they both chose to back democracy and freedom in Iraq. For them, it is not only a matter of principle. It is also a matter of security for their countries in their war on terrorism. Fighting terrorism is a complex policy against indoctrination. In order to succeed, it is necessary to develop a democratic society and free press.
I am not only the first democratically elected leader of the Arab world. I am also the first prime minister of the Middle East to come from an Islamic opposition group at the head of a coalition that includes diverse ethnic and political groups. With this coalition, I will get rid of Saddam Hussein’s legacy. In order to achieve this, we need a new Marshall Plan. We have to erase 40 years of a Fascist regime and, for that, we need the assistance of the western democracies.