U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Saturday called on Iraqis to overcome their divisions. Making a brief visit to Baghdad, her first since becoming secretary of state, Clinton sought to reassure Iraqis of U.S. support as Washington prepares to withdraw all its troops by the end of 2011.
At a meeting Clinton held with some 150 Iraqis at the U.S. embassy, an Iraqi journalist bluntly said many Iraqis were afraid of what would happen when U.S. troops left, and that people did not trust Iraqi security forces. "There is nothing more important than to have a united Iraq," Clinton replied, according to Reuters. "The more united Iraq is, the more you will trust the security services. The security services have to earn your trust but the people have to demand it."
Clinton met Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and Foreign Minister Hoshiyar Zebari and was briefed by Gen. Ray Odierno, the U.S. commander in Iraq. Zebari said he found Clinton's message of continued American support reassuring and said the relationship between the two countries would evolve to one of more normal, economic dealings from one been based on security and military concerns.
"There is no doubt that there are serious security and economic challenges that are facing Iraq. We will continue to rely on ... U.S. commitment and support," he said.
Clinton also made time to meet ordinary Iraqis invited to the massive, heavily fortified U.S. embassy, speaking privately to a group of Iraqi women, some of whom were widowed. In her public meeting there, she answered question after question from Iraqis about what the United States could do to help them with everything from education and agriculture to the empowerment of women and the rights of minorities.
At one point, Clinton said she knew that it would not be easy to knit together Iraqi society. "I know how hard this will be," she said. "My own country has struggled for many years with all kinds of divisions and yet, as you know, we have just elected an African American president, someone who is leading all Americans, not just one group or another group."
