Interview with Al-Rashideen Army: First we must defeat the occupation, then all those who want to harm Iraq
This interview was published on islamtoday,
The Sunni scene of the various armed factions became more visible today, and the relationship between these factions took a different turn with the outbreak of armed conflicts since the beginning of the year 2007, specifically between the so-called “Islamic state of Iraq” (Al-Qaeda in Iraq) and the other armed factions, including the 1920 Revolution Brigades and Jihad and Reform (Islah) Front.
If it is difficult to select an accurate classification of the “armed factions” map, the approach is to divide these factions into four directions:
First direction: call it the “Salafi Jihad”, and represented the so-called “Islamic state of Iraq”, and the groups that allied with such as the Ansar al-Sunnah.
Second direction: called “National Salafies”, represented by Jihad and reform Front, which was formed from the three armed groups; Islamic Army, Al-Tatiheen (conquerors) Army and the Mujahideen Army.
Third direction: The “Muslim Brothers”, represented by Hamas-Iraqز
Fourth direction: “National Islamic”, represented by 1920 Revolution Brigades, and the Al-ٌٌRashideen Army.
Abu Mohammed Al-Zubaydi,Chief of the political bureau of the Al-Rashideen Army, living in one of Baghdad’s suburbs, a specialist pharmacist, rejects the classification of the Iraqi resistance between a national Islam and international Islam.
Al-Zubaydi, identifies Al-Rashideen Army as objective with very clear goal:
Is a faction of the resistance, which is working to liberate Iraq, preserve its unity, and to destroy the American project with all its products, and the establishment of a justice state which does not exceed the human rights.
Zubaidi confirms that Al-Rashideen Army’s political perspectives is not limited to the liberation of Iraq from occupation, but take into account that the conflict is the US cultural and strategic dimensions; He says:
Al-Rashideen Army does not stop with its military appearances, but go deep in understanding the occupation project, which is not aimed at Iraq alone, .. The occupation program begins with the occupation of this country, and sequentially aims against Arabism and Islam everywhere, Al-Rashideen high commanders are following these goals and motivations of occupation strategy and the role of the neo-conservatives and international Zionism.
Based on the previous vision, Al-Rashideen Army puts its strategic vision, and identify its options and positions, “The army battalions? deal in the field according to a program aimed achieving the near and far objectives …
In the context of identifying Al-Rashideen Army’s history and its strength compared with the other armed factions Zubaidi says:
Established at the first day of the occupation, and began to collect weapons from the former Iraqi Army military camps the suburbs of Baghdad, the Army announced its existance at the same day when our fighters carried out an attack against a US occupation patrol after nine days of the occupation of Baghdad .., Al-Rashideen Army battalions located in different parts of Iraq, including the provinces of North and South.
Regarding the political perspective of the army and its position on many issues Zubaidi confirms that the army rejects the ongoing political process, considering it in the service of the occupation, but he refused-at the same time, the sectarian conflict, and the logic of blasphemy and treachery.
When asked about the Fatwa of general Shiite heresy issued by some Sunnis he say:
We believe that evaluating the relationship with the various factions and sects as we Iraqi society into two categories “with or against”. The group collaborated with the occupation, includes all Iraqis, Arabs, Kurds and Turkmen, Muslims and Christians, Sunni and Shiite.
In contrast to some of the armed factions that carried out the killing of civilians and innocent people, and justifiably so-called theory of “sticking”, Al-Rashideen Army categorically rejects the killing of civilians, Zubaidi says:
The position of the army adults is clear and firm on this issue, we are against the killing of innocent civilians, under any pretext.
On the other side; the army did not agree with other armed factions that the so-called Iranian- Safavid occupation is equal or worst than the American occupation, as Zubaidi says:
There is no doubt that Iran poses a major threat, but we believe that the danger is the first American occupation, The penetration and Iranian proliferation, happened because of the absence of American occupation and if we defeat the American occupation that would subside the Iranian threat, and if we defeat the US, we will be able to defeat all those who want to harm Iraq.
Al-Rashideen Army differs, too, with other armed factions adopting a certain formula of the state they want after the withdrawal of occupation from Iraq, it is - although the Islamic-oriented view that is the form of the state Iraqis agree on, which serve Iraqis religion, their country and the future of the coming generations.
3 Comments, Comment or Ping
Alison
Ladybird, your attempt to classify armed factions misses an important point, namely that the core formations of the Iraqi Resistance, including the Islamic Army, Mohammed’s Army, the Mujahideen Army and - it seems - Al-Rashideen Army, were established by the Ba’ath under the guidance of President Saddam Hussein. Some factions, such as the Islamic Army, have subsequently been (largely) taken over by people affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood and the Islamic Party etc. Others have fallen under the influence of renegade Ba’athist Mohammed Younis Al-Ahmed, based in Syria, who is willing to co-operate with Allawi and the Americans and whose faction is anti-Iranian, but not anti-imperialist. By contrast, the spokesman of the Al-Rashideen Army represents an anti-imperialist position similar to that of the official Ba’ath Party, currently led by Izzat Ibrahim Al-Duri.
Jul 27th, 2007