Iraqis are "firmly committed" to the rule of law as distinct from the rule of might, US Attorney General Michael Mukasey said in Baghdad on Wednesday after holding talks with top Iraqi judges. "I'm impressed and encouraged what I have seen here," Mukasey said on his first trip to Iraq since he took office in November 2007.
"The Iraqis are firmly committed to the rule of law as distinct from the rule of might," he told a news conference in Baghdad. "They are also committed to the independence of the judiciary and are fully committed to having law being the only influence on the outcome of their cases," he added.
Mukasey said he had met with US General David Petraeus and US Ambassador Ryan Crocker, as well as some of the more than 200 Justice Department staff serving in the US mission in Iraq.
He had also held talks, he said, with Chief Judge Madhat al-Mahmood and two other senior judges, whom he did not name. "All three are remarkable men whose leadership is making an impact across Iraq. They face many obstacles each day in carrying out their duties as agents for the law in the face of many dangers. "The judges were emphatic in their recognition not only of the importance of the rule of law but also the independence of the judiciary," said Mukasey.
In an earlier statement released by his office in Washington, the attorney general said his visit to Iraq was aimed at bolstering "efforts to establish the rule of law in Iraq."
"The United States is at a critical juncture in Iraq, and the Justice Department is working to ensure sustain ability of the freedom and security for which our men and women in uniform have so bravely fought and sacrificed," Mukasey said in the statement.
"Our civilian volunteers are working with the Iraqi people to build a legal system fashioned by cultures and customs very different from our own but founded upon the same bedrock principles: due process and the rule of law." US efforts "have already resulted in significant progress, and we will continue to pursue ways to help the Iraqi people achieve a stable and transparent government," he argued.
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