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Arabiya Says Iraq Marks War Anniversary Amid Civil War Fears

Posted on: Monday, 20 March 2006, 09:00 CST

Text of report by Dubai-based news channel Al-Arabiya TV on 20 March

Today marks the third anniversary of dropping the first bomb on the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, signalling the beginning of war on Iraq and the toppling of former Iraqi President Saddam Husayn's regime amidst wide-ranging international opposition to the war decision and demonstrations during which more than 30 million people took to the streets of most world capitals.

Today, and after the passage of three years on the start of war, voices are heard warning that the country is heading towards a bloody sectarian war. General George Casey, commander of the US forces in Iraq, tried to belittle the significance of such warnings, stressing that civil war in Iraq is not imminent and not inevitable.

[Al-Arabiya correspondent Adnan Abbud] Events recently witnessed by Iraq, foremost of which were the attack on the shrines of Imam Ali al-Hadi and Al-Hasan al-Askari on 22 February and subsequent attacks on mosques, clergymen, worshippers, and Shi'i visitors travelling on foot from Baghdad to Karbala to commemorate Imam Ali Bin-al-Husayn's 40th anniversary and the firing of mortar shells on the city, have triggered fears of civil war that would devastate Iraq and its people. These fears were referred to by former Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi in statements during which he said that regrettably the Iraqis are in a civil war now, pointing out that there is no other description of the ethnic violence in the country.

Allawi's statement ran counter to statements made by the spokesman for the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq [SCIRI] who denied reports of civil war.

[Sa'd Jawad Taqi, SCIRI's spokesman] We deny this matter. There is no civil war in Iraq. Deterioration in the security situation is attributed to two main factors. First, there are terrorist armed takfiri [those who regard other Muslims as infidels] groups, particularly those who came to Iraq via borders. These are well- known terrorist parties. The second reason for deterioration in the security situation is Saddamists.

[Correspondent] Even though the Iraqi Al-Tawafuq [Accord] Front voiced a similar opinion, it said that the country is on the verge of civil war.

[Zafir al-Ani, spokesman for the Iraqi Al-Tawafuq Front] No, Iraq has not thus far entered the civil war cycle, but it is, in fact, standing on the verge of one. Regrettably, there are political and regional forces trying to push the Iraqis towards this lethal cycle. However, the Iraqi community is immune to this.

[Correspondent] Former Iraqi Interior Minister Falah al-Naqib considered the large number of daily deaths among Iraqis an indication that Iraq is heading towards civil war.

[Falah al-Naqib] As a matter of fact, we are approaching civil war. This issue started as of the end of last summer. The number of assassinations taking place in Baghdad and other areas in Iraq is extremely high.

[Correspondent] Amid varied viewpoints on whether or not civil war will erupt, Iraqi politicians unanimously agree that what they call Iraqis' immunity and resistance are enough to nip this war in the bud.

Source: BBC Monitoring Middle East

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