 Q: Do you still think security is the biggest issue in Iraq, or do you now see other issues taking greater importance?
H.E. Ammar Alhakim: The Security problem is one problem which Iraq has been going thru, which is affected by political constraints,
for a number of the region's nations have growing concerns and fears regarding the Iraqi experiment and the changes taking place therein, leading them to turning their eyes away from the terrorist groups within the country. At the same time, we believe that there is a noticeable improvement in the security over the past few months, and that it is still sensitive and needs further strengthening.
Security was the main priority, but today it is one among a number of priorities. Now we can also focusing on social services, and on international and regional relations, and other political considerations which also have importance. We believe that resolving these issues, such as high unemployment, delivering social services, and improving relations with other countries, will in turn affect the security and make it better. There is also much attention paid to another focus which is intra-congruence among the constituents of the country. We do not name it “reconciliation”, for reconciliation is between two enemies, but this is rather intra-congruence and heightened harmony.
Q: Your renaming of your organization as “Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq” (ISCI) has led some in the West to wonder if this is a religious organization. Do you have any worries concerning the return of the Islamists to Iraq?
H.E. Ammar Alhakim: It must be pointed out that this view is due to the fact that the leaders of the ISCI are men of religion, but when we actually look at the political structure and aims and projects and ties of the Supreme Council, we will see that is does not form any specific religious entity. It is enough to ask in the street, which organization has the best ties with the different religious factions in Iraq, and the answer will be ISCI, which proves that it is a national project.
Q: There is also a view in the West that Iraq is now leaning towards globalization, what do you say?
H.E. Ammar Alhakim: What we see plainly is a strong desire among the people to maintain an Islamic and strong national identity, and this is what we saw evident during the past elections, when over 80% of the seats became occupied by those who saw their ties to the religion as important.
Q: Can we group Da'awa Group to those?
H.E. Ammar Alhakim: Its formal name is the Islamic Da'awa group, and it is one of the deepest rooted Islamic Iraqi groups. As for opinions here and there, which see one group as Islamic and another as un-Islamic then they have a right to think so, but what will they then say about 13 million pilgrims who -directly after the elections- travelled hundreds of kilometers to visit and make a pilgrimage to Imam Husayn?
Q: There is still an impression in the West that the prime minister is attempting to appear that he is not a man of religion, so how do you judge his political performance?
H.E. Ammar Alhakim: We differentiate between the political project, which speaks for the whole nation, and between the personal religiosity of this or that person.
Q: In the West the belief that religion is a private affair, so would you agree in the separation of religion and politics?
H.E. Ammar Alhakim: Islam is a religion which leaves its imprints upon the social structure, and provides guidance on social interaction. At the same time, we were intent when drafting the constitution on emphasizing that the political structure of Iraq is a secular organization which respects its Islamic identity. This is to the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq, which incidentally had many members involved in the drafting of the constitution.
Q: Have you met with any of the two competitors for the Iranian presidency, Ahmadinejad or Moussavi?
H.E. Ammar Alhakim: I met Ahmadinejad when he came for a visit to Iraq as president of Iran, just as I also went for a visit to Iran and met with him; as for Mirhussain Moussavi, he has not yet had any political importance so I have not met him.
Q: Your family has a prominent role in the politics of the country, and has strong ties with both Iran and Washington, how do you see the tie between these two powers?
H.E. Ammar Alhakim: Rather that talking about family relations, we believe that these relations are built upon our valuing of the Iraqi national interests, and it is always in Iraq's interests to have strong ties with the neighboring countries as well as the international community, and this is what justifies these ties (to Iran and Washington) in the past as well as the future.
Q: Do you like president Obama?
H.E. Ammar Alhakim: I look with respect to his views and opinions, and I followed his speech to the Arab and Muslim world, and saw many good thoughts, and I believe the American administration is on the touchstone if it turns these thoughts into actions.
Q: Do you think president Obama has sufficient opportunity to rebuild the bridges between the East and the West after 9/11, during his stay in office.
H.E. Ammar Alhakim: His views grant him the opportunity, but this depends on how cooperative his administration is with him.
Q: During Obama's speech, it seemed he did not specifically address the Shiites, did you also notice that?
H.E. Ammar Alhakim: I listened to the speech, and he spoke on the importance of rising above the conflicts and strife, and according to what I heard he did refer to the Sunni-Shiite conflict.
Q: Would you have liked him to come to Najaf and not Azhar to give his speech?
H.E. Ammar Alhakim: He gave the speech in Cairo University and not in Azhar, and we would welcome him to come to Baghdad University to give another speech.
Q: Moving to Germany, you stated the importance of investing in Iraq and more services, what is your view on Germany and would you accept German organizations investing in rebuilding Iraq?
H.E. Ammar Alhakim: Of course, and this was one of the main reasons for my visit to Germany, and Germany is a pivotal nation and has a strong technology and long experience, just as it has prior relations with Iraq's infrastructure.
Q: This means that you welcome German companies to Iraq?
H.E. Ammar Alhakim: I had a meeting with businessmen and entrepreneurs of some German companies, and tried to convince them that the ground is fertile in Iraq for investment.
Q: Seeing as how you have some experience in business (as I heard), what is your take on the world market and the price of oil?
H.E. Ammar Alhakim: Unfortunately, what you have heard is incorrect, and I do not have much experience in this field, nor have I studied or practiced economy. At the same time, as someone who is intrested in his country's future, I believe that economic activity has a great effect on the political improvement of the country.
Q: According to what is said, your organization has always had a strong desire to build a special region in the South, do you still aid this desire?
H.E. Ammar Alhakim: It is not the Supreme Council which encourages this, but the Iraqi constitution has given the populace the right to form provinces, and the Supreme Council was more vocal than other organizations in revealing this right to the people. Now it is up to the people to see if they desire to use this right and form their territories and provinces or not.
Q: Along the same lines, do you think that the idea of a federal government is still strongly encouraged, or do you think it is becoming less and less and giving away to the idea of a central government in the country?
H.E. Ammar Alhakim: In the recent period, and especially after witnessing some of the mistakes made by the Kurdistan region, many have re-examined their attachment to the federalist idea, and adding to this is the great confusion about this topic in the Iraqi and Arab media.
Q: It appears that in the current moment there are two camps, one of the Sunni countries ( Saudi Arabia and others), and one represented by Iran and Hezbollah -as the West sees it- and that these two camps are fighting over Iraq and bringing Iraq to their side. The question here is, to which will Iraq attach to in the end?
H.E. Ammar Alhakim: Iraq will stand with its interests, and it is not in the interests of Iraq to take a side on the politics of the region. We wish to be friends with all regional and Arab countries, to which we feel a bond of Arab kinship. Syria is an Arab country as well, and on the other side we have Turkey and Iran, which are two Islamic countries with which we have deep historical ties. War has not given us anything but destruction and millions of lives lost, and the regression seen in Iraq even though it owns the second largest oil reserves. The new political structure of Iraq wants to live in harmony and improvement, and does not desire further wars and conflicts.
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Interviews 
