Iraqi politicians react to bin Laden's death

Shwan Mohammed Taha, a Kurdish member of the security committee in the Iraqi Parliament.

"Bin Laden's death doesn't mean the end of al-Qaeda, because the organization has a broad base all over the world and has a great financial ability, with many supporters from different nations and they will be seeking reprisal.
"The Iraqi people want the security situation to make progress; the ideology of terror has to be rooted out thought fighting corruption and unemployment. To grow, terror always takes refuge in an environment where corruption and unemployment exist."

Adnan al-Shahmani, a Shia MP in the National Coalition block.

"The death of the al-Qaeda leader will have positive impacts on the world in general, and the stability of Iraq in particular. The organization has international influence and many cells receive orders from him"
"His death is the end of extremism in the world that has been epitomized by the organization's terrorist acts throughout the world"

Habib al-Tarafi, a Shia MP from the National Coalition block.
"The US announcement of bin Laden's death is the end of an act of a play. The US will find another play in which it will show Islam as standing behind terrorist and extremist acts"

"Muslim audiences who are aware of the way the US think have know full well that the US will create a new fiction where Muslims play the terrorist and extremist antagonist"

Sharif Sulaiman, a Kurdish MP in the Iraqi parliament.

"Al-Qaeda was besieged when their Iraq leader Abu Musaab al-Zarqawi was killed, and they will be further besieged with the death of their world leader bin Laden. But the attacks carried out by the organization will not stop unless all of its cells operating in Iraq, and the external bodies offering them help, are destroyed"

"Bin Laden's death will have positive impact on relations between Muslims and other religions, because the man who distorted the image of Islam in the minds of the followers of other religions has been killed"

Ahmed abu Risha, head of the Awakening Councils in Iraq, a Sunni armed group that supports the government in fighting al-Qaeda and other insurgent groups.

"I wish he was killed at the hands of the Iraqis, whose country al-Qaeda has destroyed"
"His death is a victory to everyone hurt by al-Qaeda. They killed innocents under the cover of Islam and religion to win the hearts of young people under the pretext of Jihad"

By Raber Y. Aziz, Contributions from Hadi al-Isami, Dilshad Zangana.

03/05/2011 13:49