• Iraq
  • July 4, 2007
  • 11 minutes read

Al Hashemi: Iraqi Gov’t Not Serious About Dismantling Militias

There has been many recent debates about participating in the political process. Many Iraqi leaders, especially those from the Iraqi Accord Front, declare views of abandoning the political process due to the current status quo. What are the new developments in the Iraqi arena and what is the relation between the Iraqi Islamic party and resistance factions.
 
Ikhwanweb held an interview with Tareq Al-Hashemi, Iraqi vice president and general secretary for the Iraqi Islamic Party (IIP).
 
Ikhwanweb: First, what are the targets for your foreign tour to Egypt and Sudan , and what were the results of the Egyptian talks. How do you respond to claims that this call is an initiative from Egypt to play in the Iraqi arena after a long absence?

Tareq Al-Hashemi: My last visit to Egypt and Sudan is a catch-up of my tour to many Arab states. The main target was opening deliberations about Iraqi issues and how Arab states can help Iraq to get out of this crisis. Of course my main priorities were to encourage Arab countries to have an effective role in the Political and economic Iraqi arena because I trust that such crisis can not justify indifference of Arab states while Iraq is facing extremely hard times.
 
Ikhwanweb: Is there any real Arab support for Sunnis in Iraq ?
 
Tareq Al-Hashemi: The needed support is for all Iraqis regardless of any sectarian divisions and regardless of any justifications. We did not call for a special support for Sunnis. Yet we called for a support to All people of Iraq , and I haven’t heard about a special support for Sunnis in Iraq .
 
Ikhwanweb: We have recently heard debates from leaders in the Iraqi Accord Front stressing on the futility of participating in the political process. Will we hear soon about the front’s withdrawal? What are the other alternatives available for you if you withdrew from the current government? Can the Islamic party join the armed resistance? How do you evaluate your participation in the political process and the government? Did you  meet all targets you planned for?
 
Tareq Al-Hashemi: Leaving out the government is still on the table. There is still a consensus among all figures in the Iraqi Accord Front. We shall take this decision in the appropriate time, and when we are sure that withdrawal would be in the favor of political process adopted by the front. The main inevitable question is that ….what will happen next? Because it is supposed that we have an integrated plan for post withdrawal of occupation. The Front is active in crystallizing it so far and we have many choices and approaches.
Withdrawal at any time would be an outcome of many allied political parties’ decisions in the government were some of this parties hindered our activities.
 
Ikhwanweb: Are there any real steps taken by the government in order to solve the problem of thousands of detainees on political background?
 
Tareq Al-Hashemi: Unfortunately, there is no seriousness from the part of security apparatuses and governmental ones to solve the issue of detainees who are still suffering behind the bars without being charged just only under the pretext of suspicions. These apparatuses are violating Human rights daily without any accountability. You can check this in UN reports and the NGO’s reports, and the societies of human Rights.
We are trying to solve this problem effectively , praise be to Allah, and we beseech Allah to help us in this field.
 
Ikhwanweb: Many Sunni key figures spoke about the security plan and that it started with many governorates of Sunni majority like Ghazaliya, Ameriyah, yermuk, Khadraa, Al-Jamiah, Al-Durah, and Alazamiyah and other place sin order to extirpate Sunnis, so how do you evaluate this plan especially when knowing that you criticized several times the plan although you participated in? Is the security plan a part of the US strategy in Iraq?
 
Tareq Al-Hashemi: I still insist on my stance regarding the law enforcement plan that proved a success in hunting many leading terrorist figures and many insurgents in militias and the groups of death and maintaining security in many places like Baghdad . However, the plan failed to deal with the phenomena of militias who carry out abominable acts like burning mosques, and kill many people according to their identities. Still these insurgents can choose the true time and place to plant bombs and monitor booby-trapped cars in crowded places in Baghdad . This security plan failed to maintain protection and security  and to help to settle the displaced people back to their places.
 
On other hand, security apparatuses still deal with Iraqis in doubled scale policies and on sectarian bases, this forced ordinary citizenry to be targets for extirpation although they were supposed to be under protection. Consequently, the phenomena of violating human rights aggravated.
Of course the plan of imposing law is applied through co-ordination between multi national forces.
I am not a part in the security plan whether in coordination since the security issue is monitored by one part. This is one of the main disputed issues that is in need for agreement  among political entities.
 
Ikhwanweb: Since we are speaking about the militias, we can not skip talking about the militia of Al-Mahdi army. US forces call this militia the most dangerous and that it is involved in mass killings against Iraqis, there was an earlier promise that this militia will be dismantled. Do you think that the US forces and the Iraqi government is serious in dismantling this militia?
 
Tareq Al-Hashemi: The case of dismantling these militias is a disputed issue among many political entities so far, but dealing with them as terrorist groups practicing systematic killings like other terrorist groups is an important issue especially according to Multi- national forces  that arrested many people in these militias. However, so far militias are a threat against security and peace throughout Iraq , because there can be any alerting for dormant cells in short time.
 
Ikhwanweb: Do you still doubt the seriousness of the government in dismantling militias, and what is the solution to end up this serious problem?
 
Tareq Al-Hashemi: The government is still hesitant in taking a decision for this issue as well as the concerned  religious references. It is a persistent matter to take off the legitimate and political cover from these militias because they became a part of systematic terrorism in Iraq.
 
Ikhwanweb: Are there any ties between the Islamic Party and Hamas in Iraq ? What do you think about the Iraqi resistance?

There are no any organizational ties between the Islamic party and Hamas or any other resistance factions who carry out their operations independently. But we have good ties with all people and we open dialogues with them from time to time beside encouraging them to adopt a unified political project to be a base for negotiations among factions.
Any information about real talks between the resistance factions are not true because despite the data given by the British army from time  to time, yet resistance refuses that.
 
Ikhwanweb: How do you see the influence of Al-Qaeda in certain places in Iraq ? How far are the concerns resulting the clashes between Al-Qaeda and the Sunni tribes?
 
Tareq Al-Hashemi: Al-Qaeda or its supporters have a great influence in some governorates. However, Al-Qaeda lost its popularity because it has gone into astray, it started killing Iraqis and its operations extended to innocent peole, beside it spread violence, vandalism and demolished all aspects of life in accordance to false ideas and ideologies that never Allah revealed, so people marched to defend themselves.
 
Of course we are against the continuity of violence and we hope that all erroneous sects would return to the right paths to prevent the bloodshed of Muslims, and we beseech Allah to fulfill these soon.
Since you have visited Tehran … how do you evaluate the apprehension of Iranian officials to the status of Iraq and how far are they serious in helping Iraq in this crisis? Do you think that Iraq ’s status is in favor of Iranian stance in the crisis of nukes?
Still talk with our neighbors in Iran , despite all besets, did not result in all what we want. The stance of The Islamic Republic of Iran is still dubious, and we still insist on keeping all dialogue channels in order to see the Iranian role in Iraq , and we encourage them to do that and may be there is still a chance .
 
Ikhwanweb: Why do you reject the withdrawal of occupation forces in Iraq for the time being?
 
Tareq Al-Hashemi: The leadership of the Iraqi Islamic Party is committed to the political program of the Iraqi Accord Front which call for scheduling the withdrawal of foreign forces from Iraq .
We just added a condition is that Iraqi armed forces should be well trained to assume its duties when the occupation forces withdraw. And as an Iraqi citizen I am looking for that day when my country restores sovereignty and independence. Despite all the disadvantages of the occupation and the presence of foreign forces  yet their withdrawal without any schedule and without being cautious for the emptiness they will leave would result in involving Iraq in a bloody civil war and will bring complete anarchy. Both are disadvantages but we have to choose the lesser one.
 
Ikhwanweb: How do you evaluate the international conferences about Iraq and especially Sharm El Sheikh? And what are the effects of these conferences on reality?
 
Tareq Al-Hashemi: I do not doubt their importance from political and economic sides, because the international community should help Iraq in solving its problems. It is necessary to link between the “International pledge” and the “national pledge” that is compulsory and should be implemented in accordance to clear programs along with international assurances.
What about your approach to solve the Iraqi crisis and elude the crisis of civil war? How do you predict the future of Iraq ?
Iraq is indulged in utter destruction, people die without reasons but they still have a light of hope in this blind alley and we put our trust in Allah, and in Iraqis and our fellow Muslims and Arabs.
 
But hope can not be true if there is no real intention to maintain peaceful co-existence with others that are based on true intention.
Status in Iraq is complicated and solving this crisis needs a pact of plans and projects on national, regional, and international aspects.
Iraq is in dire need for new Accord that is convenient with the Iraqi crisis. We can start by a quick plan to eradicates violence and stop blood shed, after that we can look for reformation in economic, political and social arenas.