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Iraqi Interior Minister Says Al-Qa'Idah Using "Chemical Substances"

Posted on: Sunday, 2 October 2005, 18:00 CDT

Iraqi Interior Minister Bayan Jabr Solagh has warned that the Iraqi Al-Qa'idah Organization is trying to export the conflict to neighbouring countries and has been using some "simple chemical substances". He said that members of the militia formerly known as the Badr Forces could integrate with the armed forces, but they "should take off their militia uniforms" The following is the text of an interview with Bayan Jabr Solagh by Sami Mahasinah, in Amman; date not given entitled "Iraqi interior minister to Al-Arab al- Yawm: Foreign fighters began to use chemical weapons; Al-Qa'idah wants to transfer its war from Iraq to the neighbouring countries" published by Jordanian newspaper Al-Arab al-Yawm website on 2 October; subheadings inserted editorially:

Tall Afar "a qualitative step"

[Mahasinah] What are the most important issues you are going to discuss with the Jordanian side?

[Solagh] We believe that terrorism moves in all directions. Therefore, we have to cooperate with all the countries neighbouring Iraq. Jordan was among the first to help us. His Majesty King Abdallah's statements and directives on the need to fight terrorism and support the Iraqi people were largely influential. Hence, decisions were made to fight terrorism and meetings were held for this purpose.

Al-Aqabah blasts suspects

[Mahasinah] What about the terrorists who fled to Iraq after the Al-Aqabah bombings?

[Solagh] We in Iraq suffered from terrorism and will not spare any effort to pursue all terrorists and extradite them. We have a large number of Arabs and we began to pursue them after the Tall Afar operation. That operation was a distinguished one and a qualitative step in the work of the Iraqi forces. We managed to control a large area of the city within a week. About seven parts of the city were brought under control during that week. Losses among the civilians and government troops were minimal. About 150 terrorists were killed and 144 suspects were arrested. These will be interrogated and the innocent among them will be released while the others will be sent to court. The situation in Iraq is improving. The security forces continue to receive training. I visited a Jordanian camp near the Iraqi borders to attend the graduation of the 20th batch. It consisted of 1,500 policemen. The Jordanian police exerted large efforts to train them on all types of weapons and terror-combat methods.

[Mahasinah] Are you going to extradite them [those involved in Al- Aqabah blasts] to Jordan?

[Solagh] We are pursuing the terrorists who ran away to Iraq after Al-Aqabah blasts. I will discuss this issue with Jordanian Interior Minister Awni Yarfas in a closed session. I will also discuss the issue with Jordanian Prime Minister Adnan Badran tomorrow in order to clarify things and pursue these terrorists and others. We have information that as a result of the pressure recently put on them in the continuing operations, the terrorists began to think of transferring their experience in Iraq to the neighbouring countries. The reason is that the terrorists in Iraq have started to be upset by the strong blows dealt to them. Some of these blows were announced and others were not.

The second point is that they believe in the need to expand their experience and fight everywhere. We found a document with terrorist Abu-Azzam [Abdallah Najm Abdallah Muhammad al-Jawari], a key figure who was killed a few days ago. He was Abu-Mus'ab al-Zarqawi's aide. We found a copy of a letter he sent to Al-Zarqawi. In it he spoke about the need to transfer the experience of the Arab fighters or mujahidin as he called them in his letter to the countries neighbouring Iraq in order to establish bases and centres of power elsewhere for fear of receiving a severe blow in Iraq at the hands of the growing Iraqi security forces. About 3,500 Iraqi fighters are graduated every month, so you can imagine the size of these forces.

[Mahasinah] Some accuse you and Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari of inciting others against the Syrians. How true are these accusations?

[Solagh] During the interior ministers' conference for the countries neighbouring Iraq, I met the Syrian interior minister and gave him documents and lists of names. He promised to arrest some of the terrorists and criminals, who committed murders and ran away to Syria. He promised to take action but I have not received any of the terrorists or criminals thus far.

[Mahasinah] Are you really inciting others against Syria?

[Solagh] I lived in Syria and Lebanon for more than 20 years as an Iraqi opposition figure wanted by the Iraqi regime. Therefore, I cannot slander a country in which I lived. Our relations with the late president were excellent. I will not forget his support, but as an elected interior minister in Iraq I cannot bargain over the cause of our people. I cannot tolerate the killing of Iraq's children in the Iraqi streets and markets and then bargain over a personal issue. I proceed from a nationalist, Islamic, Arab and ethical premise. Therefore, I must point out the area of error not in order to embarrass or corner others, but to reach positive results that can help my people, who began to be killed collectively for no reason.

Al-Qa'idah using "chemical substances"

Therefore, I call on all the Arab and Islamic countries to cooperate with us to get rid of terrorism because I believe that Afghanistan's experience in supporting the Arab mujahidin or the so- called Arab Afghans enabled these people to reach us. Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Egypt are fighting terrorism. The letter sent to Al- Zarqawi was very serious. It indicated a real intention by Al- Qa'idah Organization to transfer its bombing experience and methods to several countries. They, in Iraq, have even started to use some simple chemical substances that are used in manufacturing detergents and oxygen for hospitals. We have discovered many plants which helped these terrorists. Therefore, the situation will be extremely serious if they manage to transfer their experience to other countries. I think all the Arab countries, including Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Syria, should help us so that we can reach good results in combating terrorism and destroying the terrorists.

[Mahasinah] Will you ask Jordan to extradite [former Iraqi defence minister] Hazim Sha'lan?

[Solagh] This is the jurisdiction of the independent Iraqi judiciary. I do not interfere in the issue of former or current ministers. My role is executive. If the judiciary asks me to do something, I will carry it out in accordance with the valid Iraqi laws.

"Some fighters have returned to neighbouring countries"

[Mahasinah] What is your estimate of the number of foreign fighters in Iraq?

[Solagh] Our estimate six months ago was in the range of 1,500 to 2,000 fighters. I think this number is currently less than 1,000 as a result of the operations carried out by the Iraqi and multinational forces. Some fighters have returned to neighbouring countries. As for the nationality of the fighters, they are Americans of Arab origin, Senegalese, Indian and African. They come from all Arab and Islamic countries. There are also fighters from Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. This indicates that the organization seeks to become an international one.

[Mahasinah] Did the police and National Guard forces kill people immediately after arresting them as the people of Al-Anbar Governorate say?

[Solagh] The Interior Ministry's police and commando forces are not present in Al-Anbar Governorate or the western region. I had 6,000 soldiers from the Al-Ramadi people. Their number now is 300 soldiers. They do not wear military uniform but civilian attire. Also they do not carry weapons to preserve their life. The army and National Guard forces belong to the Defence Ministry under the command of Minister Sa'dun al-Dulaymi. He is from the western region and he cares most for the city people.

I will meet the National Dialogue Council in Amman today. I will also meet brother Salih al-Mutlaq. I had earlier met with a National Dialogue Council delegation, led by Khalaf al-Ulayyan, Mahmud al- Mashhadani, Fakhri al-Qaysi and others. It is worth noting that I gave them special identification cards that are carried only by members of the minister's office for protection purposes. I also gave them more than 300 Kalashnikovs and 300 handguns that are used to protect ministers. I hope that they will always be provided with protection. We are in the forefront of those who protect them although they have their own objections, which I respect. We must respect their points of view and listen to them. They sometimes raise slogans in which I believe but I cannot present them the way the Arab League, for example, did when it said Iraq is part of the Arab nation. I strongly believe in this. In my capacity as a member of the government, I feel happy when this is put forward by the opposition. I believe that this is the integration desired by the various Iraqi sectors.

"They should take off their militia uniforms"

[Mahasinah] Did you merge the Badr forces with the Interior Ministry?

[Solagh] This is an April fool. The Badr, peshmerga and the Communist Party forces fought against the former Iraqi regime for 30 years and they have the right to live like any other Iraqi. If the Iraqi citizen has a chance to join the police corps, it will be natural for the Badr and peshmerga forces to do so, but on condition that they do not take control of the ministry and they should take off their militia uniforms.

[Mahasinah] What is your reply to former Iraqi Interior Minister Falah al-Naqib's accusation that the Interior Ministry has smuggled aircraft engines to Iran?

[Solagh] There is a government decision providing protection for every former minister - 10 guards for each minister - but I assigned 50 guards for Al-Naqib because he was the interior minister of Iraq. I also provided him with a bullet-proof vehicle and allowed him to stay in his house. As for the accusation, that was a game played by a director-general as a result of his administrative corruption, something which led to pensioning him off.

[Mahasinah] What are the most important amendments to the constitution?

[Solagh] Iraq is part of the Arab nation and the constitution must clearly state this. The Iraqi constitution will sooner or later state that Iraq is part of the Arab nation. This is in addition to other amendments I will discuss with [official from the Sunni National Dialogue Council Salih] al-Mutlaq today.

[Mahasinah] What about the Palestinians in Iraq?

[Solagh] I received the Palestinian ambassador to Iraq and promised to release the detainees. As for those who are sentenced by the court, I cannot cancel these sentences. The Palestinians in Iraq will have a large role to play there. They are our brothers who suffered more than us.

Source: BBC Monitoring Middle East

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