266 Quotes by Jalal Talabani

First, we insist on democracy, they on dictatorship. Then there is the matter of the continuous ethnic cleansing policy in the Kurdish areas under the control of the Iraqi government.

There is no excuse for Arab Sunnis to boycott the vote now that we have responded to all their demands and suggestions,

The brutal regime of the dictator fell ... the regime that ruled Iraq for decades, the decades of darkness. The decades that were of tyranny.

We support the principle of democratic change, even with American assistance.

First of all, elections were held in Iraq and 8.5 million Iraqis participated in them.

I always tell the Kurds who defend independence: Let's say we declared the independent Kurdish state and Syria, Iran, Iraq and Turkey imposed sanctions on us, without waging a war. How would we survive under those circumstances?

We are finding new mass graves every day. Saddam Hussein committed a crime by using chemical weapons... He waged two wars on Iran and Kuwait. He murdered and executed hundreds and hundreds of Iraqis.

It would be good if these people were provided with electricity, water and independence, and the opportunity to speak their mother tongues and educate their children.

Wishful thinking is one thing, and reality another.