Statement of Fall of Saadam Hussein/Post-War Iraq

A Statement from MPAC, the Muslim Public Affairs Council:

(WASHINGTON, D.C., April 10, 2003) - MPAC is gratified that the people of Iraq are freed from the tyranny of Saadam Hussein's dictatorship. We are further pleased at the prospect that American soldiers may be brought home soon and that the Iraqi people may have an opportunity to improve their lives and taste liberty.

MPAC wishes Saadam Hussein had avoided this war by heeding our call, on December 21, 2002 at our annual convention, and other calls like it, to step down from power and spare innocent lives in a military confrontation. Unfortunately, Hussein decided to waste innocent lives in a vain attempt to uphold his dictatorship at any cost.

The United States entered into this war without our major western allies and without U.N. support, promising to deliver democracy to the Iraqi people, which means facilitating Iraqi leadership over their own country and improving the lives of Iraqis without a prolonged occupation or imperial ambitions. We believe that these goals accurately reflect the will of the American people. Therefore it is imperative that we deliver on these promises as quickly as possible by:

1. Enabling the Iraqi people to live normal lives by bringing law and order to Iraq and delivering humanitarian aid at once to the long-suffering Iraqi people
2. Promoting legitimate Iraqi leadership at the earliest possible moment
3. Maintaining as short a presence in Iraq, without stopping short of completing our responsibilities, as possible
4. Recognizing that our support of dictatorships and rouge elements in the Middle East in the past has led to instability in the region that has been against our national interests
5. Investing in the experiences of American Muslims with a deeper understanding of the region to help facilitate democracy and America's interests
6. Avoiding any actions that create the perception of serving the interests of the State of Israel in our campaigns in the Middle East
7. Renewing a fair, even-handed commitment to finding a peaceful solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict, including applying pressure on Israel to dismantle all settlements and pull back their forces to the June 4, 1967 line in accordance with UN resolutions