Iraq’s Unity Seen as Key Condition for Success in Fight against ISIS

Davos-Klosters, Switzerland, 22 January 2015 – Maintaining the unity of Iraq is important in keeping a united front against the threat ISIS poses to the Middle East and the broader international community. This was the consensus among participants in Al Arabiya’s televised debate on the strategic context in the region.

Ayad Allawi, Vice-President of Iraq, told participants in the 45th World Economic Forum Annual Meeting that despite forces driving the disintegration in Iraq “this is not the time to dismantle the country”. He expressed confidence that progress on sharing oil and gas revenues will mollify the Government of the Kurdish Autonomous Region but recognized that winning over Sunni communities is more challenging.

“This is not the time for separation,” said H.R.H. Prince Turki Al Faisal Al Saud, Prince of Saudi Royal Family; Chairman, King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies, Saudi Arabia. “If we start the ball of disintegration rolling, it will not stop before it has dragged the region into more conflict. The fuel that fires this conflict is sectarianism and the antidote is pluralism delivered by the government in Baghdad,” he said.

The imperative of national unity is driven in large part by concern about the continuing success of ISIS forces in Iraq and Syria where the death toll continues to rise. “ISIS is a barbaric death cult that derives its success in part from divisions and disenchantment in Iraq,” said John Baird, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada.

Rowsch N. Shaways, Deputy Prime Minister of Iraq, said: “ISIS is not a local product. Its terrible beliefs and practices have roots in many countries.”

Baird compared the fight with ISIS to the struggle against communism and fascism in the 20th century. “This is the struggle of the century and we must rise to the challenge,” he said. Al Faisal used similarly passionate language. “We face not a clash of civilizations but a clash for civilization as we try to contain these obscene people,” he said.

Participants noted the absence of a representative of the Iranian government despite its role in the region. “We need a regional conference where we can all look each other in the eye and discuss our respective anxieties. The alternative is that we will all be engulfed by fire,” Allawi concluded.

More than 2,500 participants are taking part at the 45th World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland from 21 to 24 January 2015.

The Co-Chairs of the Annual Meeting 2015 are: Hari S. Bhartia, Co-Chairman and Founder, Jubilant Bhartia Group, India; Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director, Oxfam International, United Kingdom; Katherine Garrett-Cox, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer, Alliance Trust, United Kingdom; Young Global Leader Alumnus; Jim Yong Kim, President, The World Bank, Washington DC; Eric Schmidt, Executive Chairman, Google, USA; and Roberto Egydio Setubal, Chief Executive Officer and Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors, Itaú Unibanco, Brazil.