From the Iraq Freedom Congress (IFC):

Amid Passionate Revolutionary Chants, Iraq Freedom Congress Concludes First Convention with Great Success
Delegates determined to challenge serious security conditions for success of the first convention
On October 21, 2007 the first Convention of Iraq Freedom Congress was held in the city of Kirkuk, attended by many elected delegates who came from different provinces and cities of Iraq (Basra, Nasiriyah, Shatrah, Diwaniyah, Kut, Hashemite, Suwayrah, Numaniyah, Kifl, Hillah, Alexandria, Baghdad, Samarra, Tikrit, Bejee, Mosul and Kirkuk). The delegates were able to reach the conference hall despite the serious danger they could have faced on their way and the collapse of the security situation, such as booby-trapped cars, bombs and sectarian gangs...

Also five delegates from Japan attended the meeting in an unprecedented challenge to the serious security situation to add a distinct role and international character to the event atmosphere. Also Canada was present in the conference through the participation of its delegate. It was not possible for a number of delegates from Diwaniyah to attend the meeting because of the outbreak of hostilities and the imposition of curfew since Friday [Oct. 18]. Also a number of delegates from Hilla were not able to make it to the event because of the road blockade by the occupation forces for long hours. Additionally another group of representatives of trade unions from the Ameriya (Baghdad) were not able to participate due to road side bombs that caused a closure to all routes out of the area.

Before the convention began its work a report on the conduct of elections was read and a time was given for any complaint whether violations in delegates' elections in different constituencies were witnessed. After hearing no appeals or complaints; the convention was legitimized and Samir Adel who chose his aides was elected to preside the meeting. It is to be noted that IFC chose three delegates (Subhi Al-Badri, Nadia Mahmoud and Faris Mahmoud) to be outside the conference hall and gave them full authority in the leadership of IFC in the event of a terrorist attack during the convention.

Under the banner "No Shiite ... No Sunni… ours is humanitarian identity" and "No to the occupation ... No to the sectarian gangs" which decorated the conference hall alongside the IFC banner; the meeting started with a minute of silence in tribute to the victims of war and occupation. Then the participants voted on the agenda, which included political report submitted to the convention, a resolution on the political situation in Iraq, the financial report, resolutions and elections.

Samir Adil was first to deliver his speech in which he said "we must succeed and win and the fate of millions outside this room are tied to the outcome of this convention". Following was Sato Kazuyoshi, President of the Movement for Democratic Socialism MDS who focused in his speech on supporting and strengthening IFC movement in Japan. Ribwar Ahmed the secretary of the Central Committee of the Worker Communist Party of Iraq was next to deliver his speech in which he congratulated the participants and shed the light on the most fundamental points that IFC should focus on to succeed. Then the statement of the Worker-communist Party of Iran–Hekmatist who praised the determination of IFC to rid Iraq of the tragic conditions was read in the meeting. Then a letter from the Chairman of the Workers Against the War and Occupation Front; Abdullah Al-Maliki was read, in his letter Almaliki congratulated the convention on this occasion. Following was the letter of Saman Karim chairman of the Political Bureau of the Worker Communist Party Iraq who announced the party's support to IFC struggle for liberation. And then was the message of Subhi Al-Badri; chairman of the Anti-Oil Law Front who greeted the convention and wished for its success.

It was not possible though for the Communist Party of Iranian (Kurdistan chapter, "Comelah") to attend the event due to a car accident on their way.

After the speeches and congratulatory messages, Samir Adil put forward the political report for discussion. The participants ratified the contents of the report and its outlines and decided to publicize it for the public. A resolution on the political situation in Iraq submitted by Samir Adil was voted on and will be put to the public bulletin. The conference also reviewed the financial report which presented by Azad Ahmed then discussed the financial situation of IFC and how to find the financial means to fund it.

A number of resolutions were voted on in the convention and they are:

1. Backing and supporting the General Union of Oil Employees and the Anti Oil Law Front projects in the struggle against the occupation.
2. Appreciation and thanks to the Movement for Democratic Socialism MDS and the National Assembly for Peace and Democracy in Japan (ZENKO).
3. publicizing and explaining IFC agenda widely via Sana TV
4. issuing statement condemning the Turkish threats to invade Iraqi Kurdistan
5. holding a number of photo exhibition events in the Iraqi cities to show the scale of the disaster caused by the atomic bombs of Hiroshima in the Second World War
6. A decision of electing Sato Kazuyoshi, Asai Kinji and Korosh Mudaresi to the Central Council, this resolution received a unanimous vote
7. A decision on a financial project between Japan and Iraq to support IFC.

Among a large number of candidates who have shown their willingness and high revolutionary spirit in the leadership of Iraqi Freedom Congress; 38 members were elected to the Central Council and they are: Amer Hatem, Tahseen Mohammed, Samir Adil, Abdul Karim Abdul Alsada, Hasan Klildar, Azad Ahmad, Khalil Ibrahim, Said Nima, Majid Hamid, Fryal Akbar, Abdul Zahra Abdul Hassan, Walid Hassan, Hayfaa Mahmoud, Abdullah Al-Maliki, , Suhad Obaidi, Nadia Mahmoud, Ali Mohammed Hassan, Awad Ahmed Saleh, Ribwar Ahmed, Amjad Ali, Thikra Faisal, Saeed Abdullah Ahalal, Amjad Ghafoor, Ammar Kamil, and Leith Ali, Jamal Hamid, Naim Musa, Rashid Ismail, Ibrahim Issa, Moqaddam Abdul Jabbar, Sami Hassan, Ahmed Hashim, Jassem Alwan, Mufeed Haidar, Ali Hussein Khudayr, Muhammad Ali Flayih, Subhi Al-Badri, Sahar Abdel-Hassan in addition to the three above mentioned members to total of 41 members for the Central Council.

Amid spirited atmosphere and revolutionary chants; souvenirs presented to the Japanese delegation. The Arab and Japanese Sana TV have conducted numerous interviews with delegates and guests on IFC, its role and projects. A number of contributions were also made to IFC. Jamal Hamid have announced the opening of an information office for IFC in Basra, as well as giving 5 acres of land for IFC for future projects, in addition, an opening of IFC headquarter was announce in the city of Sedda.

Sana TV showed footages about the braking into IFC head office by US troops, interviews with IFC detainees and the recent meeting with Abdil Hussein Saddam in the eve of his assassination by the occupying forces. Also a photo exhibition was held in the same event portraying the activities of IFC at home and abroad, which had greatly affected the attendance moral.

In the end, Samir Adil concluded the event by congratulating the participants and wished them successful work.

See our last posts on Iraq (and Kirkuk), and Iraq's civil resistance.