Jan 9 2016

Prime Minister and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces Dr. Haidar Al-Abadi stressed the importance of the year 2016 being the year to eliminate corruption and get rid of the terrorist gangs of Daesh.

He said, in his speech during his attendance at the ceremony which was held on the occasion of the 94th anniversary of the founding of the Police, that we congratulate and applaud the officers and ranks and police recruits on their National Day which coincides with victories that you earn with your sacrifices with the army and the popular mobilisation and volunteers in Ramadi and you are capable of liberating every inch of the land of Iraq.

He added that there are major challenges before you and you proved your ability in fighting and the holding territory and imposing security, which falls on your shoulders, while some are trying to block the progress and victories, and Daesh failed to regain their momentum and we will eliminate them to liberate every inch of the land of Iraq.

He referred the fierce war against corruption that we are fighting as well as the war against terrorism, and the corrupt have the money and capacity and satellite channels to confuse and sabotage our victories but with our unity and unmasking these corrupt people we will be stronger than them.

He reiterated Iraq's rejection of the presence of any foreign force on its land, calling on Turkey to withdraw its troops and that we have told them this and we will take all measures to get them out of Iraq.

He also called on countries in the region not to escalate because any escalation among them will serve the terrorist gangs and move attention away from Daesh.

He hailed with great admiration the martyrs of Iraq and the martyrs of the police and paid tribute to the wounded whose sacrifices liberated cities and achieved victories and destroyed the enemy.

Prime Minister's Media Office

9 January 2016