Iraqi presidency marks anniversary of fall of Baghdad

BAGHDAD — Iraq’s presidency marked the 23rd anniversary of the fall of Baghdad on Thursday, describing April 9 as “a pivotal moment” in the country’s modern history and calling for efforts to consolidate democracy and prevent a return to authoritarian rule.

“The page of dictatorship was turned” on this date, the presidency said, marking the start of “a new phase based on democracy and building state institutions.” It called for a “responsible national spirit” to build “a secure and stable future worthy of all Iraqis” and stressed the need to avoid “repeating the tragedies of the past.”

The statement commemorated victims of the former Baath regime, including Shia cleric Mohammed Baqir al-Sadr and his sister Bint al-Huda, as well as victims of the chemical attack on Halabja, the Anfal genocide campaign against the Kurds, mass graves, the mass killing of Barzani tribe members and victims of the 1991 uprising.

U.S. troops entered central Baghdad on April 9, 2003, with images of Saddam Hussein’s statue being toppled becoming one of the defining symbols of the day. The fall of the capital effectively ended Baath Party rule, which had been in power since 1968.