The son of Iraq’s president told a University of Central Florida audience Tuesday that while he’s concerned about the increased ethnic and sectarian violence in his country, the U.S.-led intervention has led to a better, more stable lifestyle in most of Iraq.

A day after the third anniversary of the intervention, Qubad Talabani said more Iraqi forces are leading efforts to fight insurgents instead of playing a secondary role to U.S. troops. Millions of Iraqis have voted in recent elections, and many schools and hospitals are being built, he said.

Such improvements are evident in 13 or 14 of Iraq’s 18 states, Talabani told a crowd of more than 300 people at a forum sponsored by the UCF Global Perspectives Office. Talabani, 28, is a representative of the Kurdistan Regional Government in Iraq. He works closely with the U.S. government, news media and research institutes.

Following Operation Iraqi Freedom, Talabani, the son of Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, served in 2003 as a senior foreign relations officer for the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, a leading Kurdish political party known as PUK. He became the PUK’s top liaison to the Coalition Provisional Authority, the transitional authority in Iraq.

Talabani said Iraqis need the help of the U.S. government and military to successfully transition into a democracy. Without the United States' help, he said, Iraqis won’t be able to overcome the ethnic and sectarian differences and violence -- until there is a stable government in place with checks and balances.

“We want your sons and daughters and brothers and sisters to return home as soon as they can with their heads held high, knowing that they did a noble job in our country,” Talabani said. “But the job is not complete.”

Talabani added that Americans won’t find a stronger friend in the Middle East than Kurds, and he called Kurdistan a “bright spot in the Middle East.” He said Kurds are working hard to help Sunnis and Shiites resolve their differences.

“If we can reduce ethnic and sectarian violence, I think we have a major chance of success in Iraq,” Talabani said.

Talabani praised the United States for having the courage to fight oppression in countries such as Iraq. He said the United States has that obligation as the world superpower and added that he’d like to see more nations in Europe and elsewhere playing a larger role in stopping oppression around the world.

Talabani answered several questions about the growing conflict between Iran and the West. He said he does not believe a nation like Iran that has a terrible human rights record should be permitted to have nuclear weapons. He also said he hopes Iran and Iraq can learn to become neighbors who respect each other’s boundaries.

“It would have been nice to be next to Luxembourg, but we have to deal with who we’re next to,” he said.

In addition to the UCF Global Perspectives Office, sponsors of the forum included UCF’s Middle Eastern Studies Program and Political Science Department and the Global Connections Foundation.