Qubad Talabani, son of Iraqi President Jalal Talabani and representative to the United States for the Kurdistan Regional Government, spoke in Featheringill Hall Wednesday about the ongoing reconstruction efforts in Iraq.

Sponsored by the Mason Foundation and hosted by the School of Engineering, Talabani explained the Iraqi government's actions in helping rebuild the country after the United States-led invasion in 2003.

"I'm not here to spin or tell you we're pleased about the situation," said Talabani, who helped write the transitional law in the new Iraqi government. "(Kurdistan) appreciates America's sacrifice, but all is not lost. We have managed to rise up out of the ashes through America's help."

Talabani said he believes the tremendous focus on the military aspect of Iraq is misplaced, and instead America should pursue a combination of other strategies.

"Initially we've seen sectarian violence decrease in the capital but increase in other areas," Talabani said. "It cannot be solved by military alone."

Talabani proposed a comprehensive political and economic strategy, which included health care and education for the Iraqi people but warned it must be imposed by the Iraqi government, not the United States.

"There is an Iraqi government that is sovereign but far from effective," Talabani said. "It is now up to the United States to nurture discussion to allow the compromises that need to be made."

"We have a problem with the Baath party members prohibited from the government, which is alienating millions of people. There has to be some leniency in the so called de-Baathification of the government," he said, criticizing the U.S. policy that bans former members of Saddam Hussein's party from participation in the new coalition government.

Talabani also stressed the economic problems that plague the country and proposed a solution that he said would also cut down on sectarian violence.

"You cannot give security unless you have economic development," Talabani said. "When you put (people) to work, you take them out of the sectarian violence."

"Our policy is wrong in that we focus only on the trouble spots," he said. "We should isolate the trouble spots and use the success stories to influence the trouble spots. You can look at the Kurdistan government as a success story."

The speech drew a full auditorium, including many students and alumni, as well as members of the Kurdistani population of Nashville, the highest in the United States.

"I thought it was really passionate," said senior Jonathan Daberkow. "It made me feel more strongly about Iraq."

Daberkow was most impressed with how Talabani's accounts of Iraq differed from his own perspective.

"His view on how the media represents the war definitely made me feel the same way," Daberkow said.

Senior Tara Snell said she was impressed with Talabani's ability to look beyond the war aspect of Iraq.

"The fact that he stressed so much more than just military development and actually pushed for economic development was impressive," she said. "I just thought that it was a great speech and really candid."