A Critical Discourse Analysis of Elements of Influence in Abdul Latif Rashid's Statements

Abstract

Political leaders use language to persuade and attract audiences and followers. Iraq is considered a prominent mediator to resolve most of the Middle East's critical problems. Iraq's presidents have had a real influence on the international community in addressing some of the suspended issues in the Middle East. The present study aims to investigate the elements of influence in Iraq's president's speech during his participation at the 33^rd summit of the Arab League in Manama. The data of the present study is taken from Iraqi President Abdul Latif's speech during the 33^rd Arab Summit in Manama. The present study adopts a qualitative research approach through which excerpts from the Iraqi president’s speech are analyzed in light of Fairclough and Weddick (1993). The findings of the present study reveal that three out of the five CDAs strategies are employed, including Referential, Mitigative, and Perspective strategies. It is recommended that more investigations be conducted in areas other than the linguistic area.