RADICAL cleric Moqtada al-Sadr gave a lengthy interview to Al-Jazeera Satellite Television last Saturday about the US occupation of Iraq.
He was first asked to shed light on his absence over the past year.
Al-Sadr said he was following the situation in Iraq closely, despite his disappearance from the public scene. He said his decision to go into seclusion was so he could further pursue his studies which, he stressed, will serve the interests of the Iraqi people.
On the future plans of the Al-Sadr Trend, he said: ‘With regard to the trend’s duties, it is the liberation of Iraq.
‘It is the duty of the Al-Sadr Trend and the Iraqi people to seek to liberate Iraq step by step.’
Commenting on the US-led war on Iraq in 2003, Al-Sadr maintained that the invasion by the multinational forces could not be dubbed ‘liberation’ because: ‘America still has a more negative impact than that of the former Ba’ath Party on the Iraqis.’
He stressed that based on the ongoing suffering of the Iraqi people due to security deterioration and poor basic services, the US-led war on Iraq should be termed ‘occupation’.
Asked if he believed that Iraq is still occupied, Al-Sadr said: ‘Iraq is still being occupied, and the popularity of America in Iraq is declining day by day, even minute by minute.
‘America is still occupying Iraq. Through your channel, I call on the occupation forces to leave Iraq as soon as possible.’
Al-Sadr stressed that he supports ‘armed resistance’ against the US forces.
When asked if he would decide to dissolve the Al-Mahdi Army because it was no longer under control, Al-Sadr said: ‘Large numbers of it are under control, if I may say so, and they are obedient, loyal, believers, and alert.’
‘God willing, they are capable of liberating Iraq, once some of their requirements become available gradually.
‘I said on other occasions that I do not have the right to freeze the Al-Mahdi Army because it is an ideology-based army.’
Al-Sadr said the strategic goal of the Al-Mahdi Army is ‘to liberate Iraq and defend the Iraqi people in times of crisis.’
He said that the United States knows full well that he continues to lead ‘the resistance’ against it. He added: ‘Resistance is logically and legally recognised. On this occasion, I call on the Arab League, the OIC and the UN to recognise the legitimacy of resistance.’
Asked if he wanted to send a message to leaders participating in the Arab Summit currently held in Damascus, Al-Sadr noted that they should tackle the Iraqi and Lebanese files, underlining the need to settle the Lebanese crisis as soon as possible.
He went on to say: ‘I also urge them to give legitimacy to resistance and to stand with the Iraqi people and not against them. The Iraqi people need the Arabs as they need the support of others.
‘Iraq does not need their weapons, but needs their moral support to drive the occupation forces out of its land, even through political support or encouragement for the Iraqi people. Iraq needs their support to keep booby-trapped cars and terrorists away from the Iraqi people.’
Regarding the demonstration that the Al-Sadr Trend has called for April 9th, al-Sadr said: ‘I want to show through this demonstration that the Iraqi people refuse the US presence.’
He said that federalism in Iraq cannot be implemented so long as ‘the occupation’ exists in the country.
Asked to assess the political process in Iraq five years on from the occupation, al-Sadr replied: ‘As a matter of fact, it is a failure as long as the occupation exists.’
He said that the Al-Sadr Trend withdrew from the Unified Iraqi Coalition because the Iraqi Parliament, which he notes was formed on sectarian bases, failed to serve the interests of the Iraqi people or to address its core issues.
And he criticised the Iraqi government for using force instead of dialogue to deal with the Iraqi people.
He said that there are political prisoners held in Iraqi and US prisons and called for the release of all imprisoned female detainees.
He noted fierce Shi’ite-Sunni clashes following the Samarra blasts and stressed his opposition to the targeting of Sunnis in Iraq.
He emphasised that ‘the occupation and some parties’ seek to distant the Shias from the Sunnis so as to weaken Iraq, and he is ready to exert serious efforts to bridge the gap between the Shias and Sunnis in Iraq.
Al-Sadr rejected foreign interference in Iraq’s domestic affairs, saying that it harmed the Iraqi people and sought to serve the interests of foreign parties.
He argued that sectarian strife will continue as long as the American presence continues in Iraq.
Turning to his ties with the Iranian leadership and his views on the Iranian role in Iraq, he said: ‘In a previous meeting, during the Hajj season as I recall, with Sayyid Ali Khameneni, I told him that we share ties and the same ideological line, but with regard to the political and military influence, I will not be subordinate to you. Moreover, there were negative actions carried out by the republic of Iran in Iraq.
‘I also mentioned to him some measures that could help rectify the Iranian situation in Iraq because it made mistakes in the past which it should not have made.’
Elsewhere, Dubai-based Al-Sharqiyah TV carried the following report: ‘Iran has succeeded in bringing an end to the fight between the Iraqi adversaries following the recent battles in Basra and the southern cities.
‘Nuri al-Maliki has sent Ali al-Adib, his assistant in the Al-Da’wah Party, and Hadi al-Amiri, head of the Badr Organisation, to Iran to reach an understanding on an arrangement for a cease-fire.
‘The two government officials – who met with Qasim Sulaymani, an Iranian intelligence officer in charge of the Iraq file, and a number of the Revolutionary Guard’s intelligence officers – held talks with Moqtada al-Sadr’s representatives.
‘Informed sources said that the government delegation, which is made up of the Iraqi Islamic Supreme Council, the Badr Organisation and the Al-Da’wah Party – Nuri al-Maliki’s wing, has accepted al-Sadr’s terms, including the departure of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki to Baghdad within the coming hours.’
The report continued: ‘The source added that the key terms that the delegation agreed on are halting the storming operations and arrests against the Al-Mahdi Army militants, who are affiliated with al-Sadr; releasing the innocent; and holding accountable the government officers who committed crimes of murder.
‘In return, Al-Mahdi Army will release the government soldiers it has captured and will stop armed attacks.’
