The Foreign Ministry Holds a Memorial Ceremony on Eleventh Anniversary of Terrorist Incident that Targeted Ministry’s Building

The Foreign Ministry held a memorial ceremony on the eleventh anniversary of the terrorist incident that targeted the Foreign Ministry building and claimed the lives of a number of its employees. Minister Fuad Hussein placed a wreath of flowers on the memorial at the ministry’s headquarters, and gave the following speech :

In the name of of Allah the Merciful
Peace be upon you all and God’s mercy and blessings

Allah Almighty said in His glorious Book:

((And never think of those who have been killed in the cause of Allah as dead. Rather, they are alive with their Lord, receiving provision,))

(Al-Imran: 169)

We meet today on the occasion of the eleventh anniversary of the terrorist bombing that hit the Foreign Ministry building on the bloody Wednesday, August 19, 2009, in which a group of martyrs from the Foreign Ministry’s employees and a number of civilians were killed. Eighty-two citizens, including forty-five employees of the Foreign Ministry, and six hundred and thirteen were wounded.
At the same time, we recognise the extent of the suffering experienced by their families and those who suffered from the horrors of the cowardly terrorist incident, and in loyalty to the blood of the martyrs and the wounded, we stand in tribute to the sacrifices they made for Iraqi diplomacy. The sacrifices made by the Iraqi Foreign Ministry along with the sacrifices made by the armed forces of various types in defeating terrorism and preserving the dignity of the Iraqi human being, reaffirms the importance of the message that diplomats carry in defending Iraq, and revealing the true face of extremism pursued by terrorist organizations in various names.

The targeting of the Foreign Ministry came since it represents the front line for Iraq to confront terrorism and violent extremism in international forums. The treacherous bombing that we remember today was not the only one that the Ministry was subjected to, as it was preceded and followed by a number of bombing and assassination incidents that affected an elite of the Foreign Ministry’s employees, amounting to thirty-seven martyrs.
I do not fail to recall on this occasion the martyrs of the Ministry who died as a result of the terrorist attack that the Ministry was subjected to with explosive belts on February 5, 2014, at the Ministry’s entrance, which killed thirteen martyrs and wounded five .

The Iraqi government has worked to rebuild the Foreign ministry, treat the wounded, and compensate them. It has also been keen on ensuring the rights of the martyrs and following up on their families.
We also mourn with more sadness and the departure of our friend, Ambassador Ahmed Bamerni, who passed away in Dohuk Governorate in the Kurdistan region.
The deceased represented Iraq in many forums, held high diplomatic positions in multiple missions, and left a good impression in the hearts of his beloved ones . Let us all stand today to read for them Surat Al-Fatiha.
Peace, mercy and blessings of God.