National reconciliation behind security improvement – PM

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said that national reconciliation has provided positive atmosphere for the success of the government and security agencies in improving security conditions and progress in the country’s political process. “Reconciliation is part of the system to enhance security and the political process as well as the protection of the democratic experiment,” Maliki said during a meeting of the national reconciliation follow-up committee on Thursday. “Reconciliation has brought about many positive outcome and successes. We have been able to set up sahwa (awakening) councils, absorb the former army officers and settle the problem of military industry,” he said Maliki pointed out that the most important success within the reconciliation process was to “win the clans and have them standing by the national unity government in the efforts to impose the rule of law and order thanks to their active contribution to combating terrorism and outlaws”. The meeting was attended by the minister of state for national dialogue affairs, Akram al-Hakim, and the minister of state for clans’ affairs, Mohammed al-Uraiby. AmR (P) 1