The role of the government is not to solve religious or sectarian or ethnic problems. These are age-old. I don't think any government of the day can solve all differences. But the government of the day can deliver to our citizens and show our citizens that they are equal in front of the law.
I was elected prime minister in 2014 under incredibly difficult circumstances: A third of the country was overrun by terrorists, the economy was struggling, people were divided by sectarianism, and relations with the wider world were strained.
If you challenge the constitution and if you challenge the borders of Iraq and the borders of the region, this is a public invitation to the countries in the region to violate Iraqi borders as well, which is a very dangerous escalation.
Corruption is a disease, and sometimes it's institutionalized. It takes years to remove it. But I want to remove it.
Daesh thought it could exploit the vulnerability of the Iraqi state, but it underestimated the overwhelming desire of the Iraqi people for unity.
As prime minister of Iraq, I am required to act in accordance with the Constitution to protect all of the Iraqi people and to keep our country united.
The Iraqi people will not allow any country to take possession of their own resources.
We respect the will of our citizens, whether they are Kurds or Arabs or Turkmen, but will not allow an illegal and unconstitutional procedure done under the threat of weapons to yield results.
The Iranians had to come to the forefront of supporting and helping Iraq fight Daesh with advisers, with other help, logistical support for our armed forces, and we very much welcomed that.
When Saddam Hussein was overthrown, Iraqis resolved never to allow one man, one political party, or one segment of society to dominate our diverse nation. Now we have the opportunity to build an Iraq worthy of what we are: a pluralist people, steeped in history, striving to build one nation in peace and mutual respect.
It's not in our interest, nor in the interest of other countries in the region, for terrorists to regroup again.
It's very important to follow up after the defeat of Daesh militarily. It's not in our interests, nor in the interests of other countries in the region, for them to regroup again.
We cannot stop senseless violence without the rule of law and security forces that represent and respect every segment of society.
Our government strives to create an independent and impartial judiciary that applies the law without bias or favoritism. And we are incorporating into our security forces all Iraqis who have taken up arms to defend their families and communities.
In the midst of the war against ISIS, we have also waged war on corruption in civil and military institutions.
