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On October 26, 1999 U. S. Representatives Rod Blagojevich, Anna Eshoo, and Frank Wolf addressed a bipartisan letter to Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. The letter expressed concern that the Iraqi National Assembly meeting held in New York from October 29 till November 1, 1999 did not include adequate Assyrian representation from legitimate major Assyrian political organizations. In an unusually candid response, the U. S. State Department Assistant Secretary for Legislative Affairs Ms. Barbara Larkin acknowledged that "Assyrians are among many Iraqis who left New York disappointed at their failure to win greater political recognition from the INC conference."
Ms. Larkin further described the INC as "very much a work in progress" and acknowledged "organizational shortcomings." Ms. Larkin also added that the U.S. State Department would "remind the INC leadership of our interest in fully including and listening to the Assyrians ... including in leadership decision making."
The letter recognized that the "Iraqi committee themselves prepared the invitation list" rather than the major Assyrian political organizations. Most notably, Ms. Larkin cautioned that "No one should labor under the misapprehension that formal ımembership' or ıleadership' status in the INC confers, in the eyes of the U. S., any current or future privileges or political status within Iraq or elsewhere."
The frank acknowledgment by the U.S. State Department of the limitations and shortcomings in the selection process of the Assyrian representation is a powerful vindication of the legitimate mainstream Assyrian political organizations' position that the Iraqi opposition had inappropriately meddled in the selection process of the Assyrian delegation. The letter is widely believed to serve notice to the Iraqi opposition that support from the U.S. government entails a real dedication to democracy and pluralism. With State Department sensitivity to Assyrian concerns coupled with continued Congressional oversight, the Iraqi opposition will be hard pressed to continue their politically crude maneuverings to limit legitimate major Assyrian political organization representation in future deliberations.
United States Department of State
Washington D.C. 20520
Nov 24 1999
Dear Mr. Blagojevich:
I am responding to your letter to Secretary Albright of October 26th, expressing your concerns regarding Assyrian representation at the Iraqi National Assembly.
As you may know, the Assembly took place in New York City, October 29 - November 1. Over 300 delegates participated, including some Assyrian-Americans, as well as other Assyrians who came directly from Iraq. We had consulted extensively with the Iraqi opposition in advance of the Assembly, and pressed the ad hoc preparatory committee hard to ensure an orderly and legitimate invitation process, including strong Assyrian representation. Of course, the Iraqi committee themselves prepared the invitation list.
The Assyrians are among many Iraqis who left New York disappointed at their failure to win greater political recognition from the INC conference. We can assure you that the INC remains very much a work in progress. We hope the Assyrians will continue to work within that movement, despite its remaining organizational shortcomings, to help lead it and strengthen it. We will continue to remind the INC leadership of our interest in fully including and listening to the Assyrians - and all Iraqi ethnic and religious communities - in all that they do, including in leadership decision making.
No one should labor under the misapprehension that formal "membership" or "leadership" status in the INC confers, in the eyes of the United States, any current or future privileges or political status within Iraq or elsewhere. The reverse is also true: failure to "win office" within the INC will not, in our eyes, bar anyone from playing a political role in the post-Saddam Iraq. The United States Government does not recognize the INC as a government-in-exile. Rather we support it as an important grouping of like-minded Iraqis who wish to work together, regardless of title or rank in that organization, to promote a positive change of regime in Iraq that will protect the rights of all Iraqis - most certainly including the Iraqi Assyrians.
Please do not hesitate to contact us if we can be of further assistance on this or any other matter.
Sincerely,
[signed]Barbara Larkin
Assistant Secretary
Legislative Affairs