Zaidi marks Speicher anniversary, pledges support for victims’ families

BAGHDAD — Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi commemorated the 12th anniversary of the Speicher massacre on Friday, describing it as one of the deadliest crimes in Iraq’s modern history and affirming the government’s commitment to the victims’ families.

“This tragedy will remain a testament to the scale of terrorism’s crimes against our people,” al-Zaidi said, adding that the victims would remain “a symbol of sacrifice and resilience, and an emblem of Iraqi unity in the face of the forces of darkness and extremism.” He said the government places the rights of victims’ families “at the forefront of its priorities” and is working to guarantee their legal and moral rights.

Al-Zaidi said the sacrifices of those killed, alongside the efforts of Iraq’s security forces, helped defeat Islamic State, and called on Iraqis to continue combating extremist rhetoric, consolidating state sovereignty and restricting arms to state authority.

The Speicher massacre took place in June 2014, when Islamic State militants executed approximately 1,700 unarmed Iraqi Air Force cadets at Camp Speicher near Tikrit after separating them from other prisoners. Most victims were Shia. Iraqi and Kurdish forces, backed by a U.S.-led coalition, drove the group from Iraqi territory in 2017.  U.S.-backed Kurdish fighters seized its final Syrian stronghold in 2019.