Statement

On the occasion of the 97th anniversary of the founding of the Iraqi army, we are pleased and proud to offer our warmest congratulations and sincere words of love and loyalty to those who believed in the defense of Iraq and its three sanctities: blood, land and honor. The anniversary of the founding of the army brings back to minds the difficulties and the moments that our great army fought to achieve victory after each epic battle, this victory was scored by the blood of its martyrs and the sacrifices of its wounded in order for the nation to remain honored and dignified in accordance with a great Iraq.

With this occasion, we recall how some rulers wanted to turn the army into their instruments of repression and domination, so they abused the army and tried to divert it from its patriotic paths and its sacred duties with their actions, but the result was that they fell and the Iraqi army remained in advance defending Iraq.

All respect to the martyrs of our army who have been fighting terrorism for along time and still til this day, to every hand that carried the weapons and the flag of Iraq and fought the terrorists that wanted to wreak havoc on the ground but to their surprise stopped by the presence of the most courageous men.

Greetings to every martyr's family and a tribute to every wounded soldier and his family; to every Iraqi men and women on this eternal day, as we live with these moments of pride in the anniversary of the founding of our valiant Iraqi Army.

Rafidain Center for Dialogue (RCD)

January 6, 2018