Ambassador Mohamed Ali Al Hakim, permanent mission of the Republic of Iraq to the United Nations, visited campus for an informal discussion about issues affecting his country. He focused on three subjects, the effect of sanctions on his homeland, the internal challenges of Iraq, and other regional issues.
Over the years the ambassador said he has gone to great lengths to better his country. He shared his thoughts about possible solutions to help pull Iraq from bankruptcy.
The ambassador spoke about the hardship of trying to lift chapter 7 sanctions, which were imposed after Saddam Hussein’s invasion of Kuwait in 1991. This froze all Iraqi assets in international banks.
Additionally Ambassador Al Hakim spoke about becoming a democracy.
There are still internal issues facing Iraq, but the ambassador felt the country is moving in the right direction. “Iraq today is back in the international community,” he said.
He ended his discussion with some thoughts about general regional issues, including those involving Iran. Following his formal remarks, Ambassador Al Hakim answered questions the audience had. (Story and photo by student Caitlin Seddon, University News)