Ayad Jamal Aldein's US Visit to Los Angeles, California

The Iraqi Foundation sponsored a trip to Los Angeles, California for Sayyed Ayad Jamal Aldein to meet with various politicians and representatives of the Iraqi community. During his stay, Mr. Jamal Aldein had a 40-minute meeting with the Governor of California, Mr.Arnold Schwarzenegger. He discussed with the Governor a potential partnership between the Iraqi District Dhe Qar (which Mr. Jamal Aldein represents in the Iraqi Parliament) and the State of California. He also attended a dinner in honor of the Governor of Massachusetts Mr.Mitt Romney.

While in Los Angeles, Mr. Jamal Aldein met with several entrepreneurs among them Geoffrey Palmer and John Paul DeJoria the Co-Founder and CEO of John Paul Mitchell Systems and attended a dinner sponsored by the entrepreneur Michael Milken at the residence of Lynda and Stewart Resnick, Chairmen and owners of Roll International Corporation. He was also invited to attend the Milken Institute yearly conference where he met the Retired General Wesley Clark, the former Supreme Allied Commander of NATO. While attending the conference, Mr. Jamal Aldein gave two lectures: One to the Milken Institute Leadership group on the current situation in Iraq and the other to the public at large entitled “ Iraq: Can Secularism Work?”.

The focus of Sayyed Ayad Jamal Aldein meetings, lectures and speeches focused on the following significant points:

• The continued presence of the multinational forces in Iraq as vital for restoring security. A hurried departure is a victory for terrorism in Iraq and beyond;
• Iraq faces the twin evils of sectarian militias and terrorism. They have to be crushed; otherwise Iraq will suffer the grave consequences of civil war;
• The militias and terrorism are supported by Iran, Saudi Arabia, Syria and some of the gulf countries—financially, logistically and through the supply of arms. The establishment of a democratic regime in Iraq is an anathema to these countries;
• Secularism is absolutely essential in Iraq and elsewhere if democracy is to be established and nourished;
• The involvement of Iran in the Iraqi affairs has become “unbearable”.