Jalal Talabani

June 25, 2008 -- PRESIDENT BUSH: It's been my honor to welcome a friend, President Talabani, back to the Oval Office. He is the President of a free Iraq. He is a man who's been on the front lines of helping to unify Iraq and to help Iraq recover from a brutal regime -- that of Saddam Hussein.

George W. Bush shakes hands with Jalal Talabani, President of Iraq: White House photo by Eric Draper.

I complimented the President on the progress that the government has made. I complimented the President on the fact that as security has improved, he and his fellow officials are reaching out to all aspects of society to help people realize the blessings of a free life.    » read more »

02 March 2008 -- The presidents of Iraq and Iran have declared a new chapter in friendly relations, despite accusations of Iran interfering in Iraq. During the Iranian president's first visit to Iraq, the neighboring country leaders have said their renewed ties were an example for other nations in the region to follow.

Iraq's President Jalal Talabani welcomed Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and both leaders hailed the visit as a new chapter in relations.

After a red carpet welcoming ceremony the two leaders held a meeting to discuss cooperation between Iran and Iraq.    » read more »

08 October 2007 -- Iraqi President Jalal Talabani says he supports a U.S. Senate resolution that calls for the decentralization of Iraq into autonomous regions for Shi'ites, Sunnis and Kurds.

The non-binding Senate resolution adopted last month is opposed by the Bush administration and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.

But, Mr. Talabani said in an interview with CNN Sunday that the Senate proposal deserves consideration and does not undermine Iraq's unity.    » read more »

10/03/2007 -- Washington, DC – Today, Senator Biden, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, met with Iraqi President Jalal Talabani. President Talabani welcomed the Senate’s approval of the Biden-Brownback amendment last week supporting federalism in Iraq, on a bipartisan vote of 75-23. He expressed his strong belief that the amendment promotes the unity and territorial integrity of Iraq and is not, as some have mischaracterized it, a call for partition.    » read more »

22 September 2007 -- Iraqi President Jalal Talabani has criticized the U.S. military for detaining an Iranian man suspected of smuggling roadside bombs and foreign terrorists into Iraq.

Mr. Talabani criticized the arrest in a letter Saturday to General David Petraeus, the head of U.S. forces in Iraq, and to U.S. ambassador Ryan Crocker. The man was detained Thursday in Sulaimaniyah in Kurdish northern Iraq.    » read more »