During a visit by journalists' union representatives to his office, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki issued orders that all journalists be provided with a parcel of land in their place of birth and be given a monetary grant at retirement, and that the journalists' union building undergo renovation.
He expressed hope that "the free media in the shadow of democracy will show responsibility towards the homeland and towards the profession," and called on journalists to point out the achievements of construction and rehabilitation in the country and not to focus on covering negative phenomena.
Source: Al-Sabah, Iraq, January 3, 2009
