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Iraqi Nation Party Leader Says Arab "Dictatorships" Fear Iraqi Democracy

Posted on: Saturday, 22 October 2005, 09:00 CDT

Text of interview with Iraqi Nation Party Secretary-General Mithal al-Alusi headlined "Constitution referendum qualitative, democratic leap unfamiliar to region; Arab League working with strategy designed by Egypt, Syria", published by Iraqi newspaper Al- Sabah al-Jadid on 19 October

Iraqi Nation Party Secretary General Mithal al-Alusi has said, in an interview with Al-Sabah al-Jadid, that the Arab League's godfather Amr Musa is aiming at accomplishing a destructive scheme. Al-Alusi added that the Arab League is very far away from what is happening in Iraq, saying that Iraqis refuse such visits and booby- trapped activities and reject holding any conference to discuss the Iraqi issue. He regarded the "reconciliation" slogan that Arabs are speaking about as the basis for kindling sectarian strife. Al-Alusi considered the referendum a qualitative and democratic leap which is completely unfamiliar to the region, and that the constitution, which guarantees Iraqi interests, is equal to civilized constitutions. The following is the full text of the interview.

[Al-Sabah al-Jadid] What is your opinion on the Arab League efforts towards Iraq and secretary general Amr Musa's visit and call for national conciliation?

[Mithal al-Alusi] It is very strange that the Arab League dispatches a personality without seeking the authorization or opinion of the Iraqi state. This league is working according to a policy that stems from an organized strategy adopted by the Egyptian and Syrian regimes. In addition to this, the attempts to link the Iraqi affairs with the Palestinian issue is an act of a play with premeditated objectives, and the irony is that it is taking place at this time in which many Arab countries have began to reconsider their political course and discourse and retract calling Israel the occupying, usurping, foundling, or Zionist state, and other names that dictatorial regimes have lived on for a long time. These countries, which are facing growing internal defeats, have found in Iraq a new way to retain their worn-out existence, so they are planning to cause the political process in Iraq to fail, not the least of their aims is keeping Iraq without a permanent constitution. The aim of the Arab League's godfather, Amr Musa, is to accomplish this according to a destructive scheme. The Arab League is very far away from what is happening in Iraq; it is rather ignorant and backward. There is an important point which we should keep in mind, namely the Egypt-Iran-Saudi Arabia strategic conflict, or the so-called eastern gate concept. These powers are seeking, like Al-Zarqawi and his regressive followers and the Syrian regime, to keep Iraq a burning arena of conflict between the eastern side, Iran, and the western side, Saudi Arabia and Egypt, to design a strategy of domination over the Middle East. The greatest danger that Saudi Arabia is facing is the liberation of Iraqi Shi'is, which moves the Saudi sands and threatens Al-Sa'ud domination over the people of Arabia. The other danger is that Iraq is founding a true democracy and a government system that believes in political multiplicity, the handing over of power in a legal and fair way, and the adoption of laws that respect human rights. These facts alone are enough to pose a danger for the inherited dictatorial regimes of the region.

We reject these booby-trapped visits and activities of the Arab League and reject the holding of any conference to discuss the Iraqi issue because it concerns the Iraqi state. The "conciliation" slogan which they are speaking about is a basis to kindle the sectarian strife that Amr Musa and those who are planning and supporting him are aiming at. We mention here, as we have always done, that all Arab countries and their organizations and league are unanimous in fighting the new Iraq because they are afraid of the winds of reform and freedom that are coming from Iraq or that are affected by it.

[Al-Sabah al-Jadid] What is your opinion of the constitution and the referendum?

[Mithal al-Alusi] The referendum process and hearing the opinion of the Iraqi citizens is a qualitative and democratic leap completely unfamiliar to the region. We will be very happy to receive the choice of "yes" by Iraqis, but will at the same time respect their desire if they say "no," because we respect the democracy that we are founding. The referendum, whether the result is "yes" or "no," lays the foundation of the democratic values that the Arab people lack. For many decades to come, Iraqis will be proud of the active constitutional texts and the free parliamentary principles that they are creating, and the Constitution that is keen on guaranteeing Iraqi interests is equal to civilized constitutions, whereas the constitutions of the Arab countries and the countries of the region are suitable for dusty shelves and damp cellars.

[Al-Sabah al-Jadid] How do you see the possible and expected electoral alliances after the referendum?

[Mithal al-Alusi] Objectivity and the open political programme are the basis on which we depend in the Iraqi Nation Party, and from which our political alliances will originate. We reject altogether the reckless and disordered way that is adopted in forming the Iraqi state on the basis of partnership and the sharing the power, which led to putting Iraqi resources in the hands of the new Mafias and political leaders. We rejected Saddam's regime and resisted it to free our people, not to remove a fascist state only to enter a state of dictatorships distributed to the various ministries and state institutions. We have done away with Saddam and now he have to do away with the Saddam phenomenon that is imbibed by the Iraqi politicians. We promise our Iraqi people that we will not be lenient with these politicians and will defeat all these paper heads. Law will be the authority and no powers will be above the law, neither terrorist powers nor militias. We will not allow the replacement of the olive uniform with the religious or sectarian cloak.

Source: BBC Monitoring Middle East

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