Al-Kadhimi confirms Iraq's right to own nuclear energy

INA – Baghdad

Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi set the date for gas production, while affirming Iraq's right to own nuclear energy.

Al-Kadhimi held an emergency meeting with the governors in the presence of the Electricity Processing Crisis Cell, according to a statement by the media office of the Prime Minister, received by the Iraqi News Agency (INA).

"Two days ago, there was a lack of power  increased than usual in the electrical power systems, and I will not talk about the immediate reasons for everything that happened, because I formed a special investigative committee to get answers to questions asked by citizens, who is targeting the power transmission networks? Are we infront of sabotage operations of terrorist or political forms? We will definitely give ansers after the investigations as I directed the Ministry of Interior to level up the protection of the power towers and transmission networks,'' said al-Kadhimi.

He added, "Some brothers blame me when I say that this government is paying the price for mistaken and prosthetic policies as well as waste of money for 17 years in all fields, especially energy. I do not speak the logic of electoral propaganda. This is a historical and moral responsibility, and we must be frank to the people after successive governments were unable to be frank for fear from the anger of the Iraqi street, and the truth is that everyone bears this responsibility from governments and politicians,''

PM al-Kadhimi wondered about the reason for not taking decisions about electrical connection with neighboring countries and countries of the world for 17 years, “We found that the country is only connected to a network with the Islamic Republic of Iran, which did not fall short according to its ability, as it also serves its people, and there is a file of electricity debts in addition to the decisions of the US sanctions, and we are serious about resolving this issue to deliver all the money owed by Iraq to neighboring Iran as a result of importing gas and electricity for the previous years, and we will make progress in this field,''

He continued: "Why is Iraq in a critical angle in front of the entitlements of its people? We have issued decisions from a year ago till today to connect Iraq's electrical system with all neighboring countries, and this matter will require time and patience to complete electrical interconnection systems with our neighbors, so that we can face energy challenges together, as the normal situation is in various parts of the world, the power grids are interconnected with the neighbors, but we wonder who decided to isolate Iraq and prevent the electrical connection?"

"The decision-maker in any country sets strategies according to his country's capabilities and future plans, so why did we build gas power plants in Iraq for 17 years with our inability to provide them with gas? And with the absence of a parallel plan to produce gas, and even the absence of a plan to diversify the sources of gas import, if necessary, who bears the responsibility for this grave mistake,"

"As long as we do not have ready-made gas, why have dozens of gas stations been built and money wasted? Why not invest in different fuel stations or go to the solar energy option? Why has the nuclear energy file not been opened yet?"

"In the gas file, we found that the power stations supply networks are also linked to the brothers in the Islamic Republic of Iran, and they did not fail and continue to pump gas despite the failure to pay their dues due to the imposed sanctions, and we need a long time and infrastructure until we find alternative sources of gas from other countries,"

"Iraq is very late in producing gas, and we need to start directly, and this is what we did without hesitation, but we need two to three years to start producing gas and fill the largest percentage of the stations' needs,"

"Two days ago, they said that the power transmission lines melted because of the loads and because they are basically old. The question is why the power transmission system in Iraq wastes 40% of production? Why did we not start in 2005, for example, until today to have a modern transmission system? There were many problems and challenges for the previous governments, but despite that it was possible to move in this area,"

"Every step to solve the electricity problem in Iraq requires years because Iraq did not actually start at any step in previous years. If we have invested in solar energy, the issue of electricity would have been behind us by today. If we have invested in gas production, Iraq would have been exporting  gas today instead of importing it, and if we have invested in Non-gas stations, Iraq would have been able today to provide electricity, and if we have invested in repairing the electricity transmission networks, no crisis would have occurred, and if we invested in electrical interconnection with all our neighbors, we would have been able to address emergency crises and fill the shortage, especially in the summer,"

''We have been continuing since last year to put all these options on the map of actual work, and we will need a few years to solve this issue radically. Each of these steps needs between 2-4 years to implement and start reaping its fruits, and the question arises: Why did this not happen previously,"

"I spoke with France a few months ago about an Iraqi project to produce nuclear energy. It is Iraq's right to own nuclear energy for peaceful purposes and to produce energy, as we have seen understanding among the countries of the world and the France, and if there are obstacles to Iraq's possession of this option, it is our duty to work to overcome so that no one will come after us to say why these decisions were not taken, as I say frankly and clearly before the people,''

He indicated, "The current government is a year and a few months old, and it did everything that needed to be done 20 years ago from today. We have taken decisions in all energy files, for which I will personally bear responsibility, and they are foundational decisions that we need to implement on the ground, and we have started implementing so we will not stop and the next government should complete what we started and to be frank to its people that there is no solution to electricity in Iraq unless we complete the steps we started today,''

"You have to continue building and establishing and do not pay attention to electoral propaganda, auctions do not create a state and do not provide electricity. Leave electoral auctions in the electricity file specifically, and let us admit that everyone has made a mistake against the Iraqi people when they refused to take the decision,'' concluded al-Kadhimi.