First we saw the Iraqi’s turn against al-Qaeda and now we have the founder of one of the biggest terrorist organizations in Iraq, The Islamic Army, telling an interviewer that if America leaves it will be a disaster for Iraq.
Abu-Azzam Al-Tamimi says at one point that yes, they did cooperate with al-Qaeda but when they “deviated from the legitimate path” they distanced themselves from the organization and began fighting them.
Transcript:
Interviewer: Is there significant Iranian intervention?
Abu ‘Azzam Al-Tamimi: Of course.
Interviewer: In what way?
Abu ‘Azzam Al-Tamimi: Iran intervenes in every single detail in Iraq.
Interviewer: Whom does it support?Abu ‘Azzam Al-Tamimi: Everybody – it works with the government, with the opponents of the government, with the opponents of the government’s opponents, with Al-Qaeda, with the enemies of Al-Qaeda, with the militias, with the enemies of the militias… Iran spreads its investments everywhere – with the Shiites, the Sunnis, and the Kurds.
Interviewer: Al-Qaeda is a Sunni organization, which claims to be fighting those they call “the Rafidites” – how can it possibly cooperate with the Iranians?
Abu ‘Azzam Al-Tamimi: Of course it can. How else can you explain the fact that a large number of Al-Qaeda’s leaders live in Tehran? How else can you explain the fact that the Al-Qaeda organization targets all the countries in the world – from America to Indonesia, including Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, Turkey, Algeria, and many others – and the only country absent from this list is Iran, even though it is located between Al-Qaeda’s two jaws – Iraq and Afghanistan? Of course there is a very strong alliance between Al-Qaeda and Iran. There is a lot of evidence of this alliance. Iran invests in everybody in order to defend itself and its interests, and this may be legitimate, because the Iranian political regime is being targeted by…
Interviewer: What does Al-Qaeda stand to gain from its alliance with the Iranians?
Abu ‘Azzam Al-Tamimi: It gets a safe haven for its leaders. No other country can give refuge to Al-Qaeda’s leaders or cadres. [Iran] provides Al-Qaeda with bases and financing. Al-Qaeda is broke. It has no money now. The sources of finances in the Gulf have been bled almost completely dry. So who finances them? Iran.
Abu ‘Azzam Al-Tamimi: Personally, I do not deem the American presence in Iraq a negative thing anymore. I believe an American withdrawal from Iraq at this point would spell disaster, because Iraq would then fall completely under Iranian influence – perhaps not only Iraq, but the entire region.
Here is the video of the interview:
Sigh….
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You know it all gets a bit confusing. I know al Qaeda are the bad guys, but exactly who are the good guys ?
Today? Tomorrow ?
Well I guess it is a good thing that the Islamic Army who used to be the organization that probably killed more Americans than any other, is now our friend. But for how long will their interests and the interests of the USA be parallel ? Will the arms and money return as blowback ?
Exactly who are the good guys?
Only a liberal man….only a liberal.
Don’t ya love how the very people who try to tell us “hey man, its not all black and white man…theres some greys in there also dude!” are the ones who are so quick to pass judgment. Hilarity.
The point is, we don’t need to be loved by all in Iraq. Some love us, some don’t. But as long as strong leaders like GWB are in charge of this country ALL Iraqi’s know we will not leave them in the lurch when the going gets tough. They know we are doing our best to ensure that they get the representative government that best represents them. Those who fought us years ago now fight along side us. Not the first time its happened and wont be the last. As you liberals so like to point out, plenty of greys in this world.
But the world has seen us stick this fight out and given the Iraqi’s a fighting chance. They have watched as we took down a tyrant and his army, disbanded the army and police, and rebuilt the country from the bottom up with a very low casualty rate, especially compared to past conflicts.
Of course the left is quick to criticize, all the while offering no other solutions other then running and hiding from the world. Lets just talk it out man, have some summits, take some pictures, shake hands…and all will be well.
9/11 showed what all that handshaking and picture taking got us.
Good find, Curt.
Arabs do blame others for their own problems. Are the Iranians the new “Jews?” There are terrorists such as the PKK fighting in Iran. There probably isn’t anything to bomb in Iran except mosques and since Iran controls its media, the media would probably blame any explosion on a gas line explosion even if there was no gas lines to explode.
The two most common terrororists still come from Lybia and Saudia Arabia as far as we know. I do believe that Iran is trying to funnel money into Iraq to dislodge the U.S., but I’m guessing that not only are the Iraqis spending the money the way they want, they are probably using the Iranians as target practice.
http://www.nysun.com/article/58507?page_no=3
This information is at least nine months old, and here it sounds like they are merely acting as a mercenary group for Iran to fight in Iraq. The huge problem they have is recuitment. Sunnis are not going to go in mass to Iran, no more than a church is going to set up in a Chinese military base. The people (all 25 of them) that are in there fled to Iran, so they are leaders without an army. They are now just arm chair quarterbacks now. Al Qaeda in Iraq is broken, and I doubt they can train people fast enough to replace their dead. That means Iran and Al Qaeda either have to kick up some dust to get the Sunnis and Shiites to fight each other again in Iraq or turn to Afganistan where Iran and Al Qaeda would probably have better luck.
And your point is what Greg? That Iran isn’t a threat to Iraq or the world?
They have had no luck in Afghanistan, and won’t. They get demolished in every encounter. Of course if your using the NYT’s as your source of information you wouldn’t know this tho.
How about the LA Times vs. Ray Robison? I’ll trust Ray Robison.
Fellow Patriots:
It is time we think seriously about acts of counter-terrorism and go on the offensive…I say we form “leaderless cells” like the Muzzies have done already and draw up lists of traitors and Islamists to be terminated with extreme prejudice. We are at war with the Red and Green to the death. The issue between us will not be settled by fine words and compromise, but only by blood and iron. So I say burn the Mosques, and shoot the traitors and hang the Mullahs! If history has taught us anything it is this – anyone can be killed. THE ONLY GOOD MUSLIM IS A DEAD MUSLIM!!!
“You know it all gets a bit confusing. I know al Qaeda are the bad guys, but exactly who are the good guys ?”
You can’t possibly be that anti-American? Seriously, how’s that go then-‘I support the troops, but I don’t know if they’re the good guys’
Suggestion: time for some deep thought on how you came to your opinions, and did you question the people who helped you form them as much as you question and doubt the Bush Admin? If not, then it’s time.