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Puppets and puppeteers in
Iraq
By Hooman Peimani
Amid
the growing politicization of the Iraqi Shi'ites and the
rapid expansion of the Iran-based Supreme Assembly of
the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SAIRI), SAIRI leader
Ayatollah Mohammed Baqer Hakim said this week in a
meeting with the Russian ambassador to Iran, Alexander
Maryasev, that the SAIRI did not want to create an
Islamic republic in Iraq. However, although the
Americans have their troops in Iraq, the rising Shi'ite
political awareness with a clear
anti-occupation/anti-American direction is providing the
SAIRI the popular backing to demand a large share of the
future Iraqi regime. It is also offering that group a
high degree of political legitimacy to challenge
seriously the US "regime-building" project, whether the
US government likes it or not.
Discussing the
ongoing humanitarian crisis in Iraq was the official
context of Hakim's meeting with Maryasev. To address the
alarming situation, the ayatollah called on the United
Nations to deploy a peacekeeping force in Iraq and to
accelerate the delivery of humanitarian aid to Iraqis.
As well, he urged the UN Security Council's members,
including Russia, and the "coalition of the willing"
states to address the sufferings of Iraqis now facing
major humanitarian problems.
Undoubtedly, the
Iraqi humanitarian crisis was a genuine concern of
Hakim's, especially since his Shi'ite constituents by
and large suffer more from the degrading situation as
the least prosperous Iraqis. However, the rapid
development of events in Iraq suggests that political
considerations may have been at least a major incentive
behind the meeting.
In particular, the
US-orchestrated "regime building" aimed at the creation
of a pro-American political system has become a major
source of anxiety for all Iraqi political opposition
groups with a plan for the future of their country
different from that of the US government. Regardless of
how the Americans want him to be seen, the appointment
of a retired American general, Jay Garner, as the
practical ruler of Iraq under whose supervision the
"regime building" is taking place, is not allaying that
anxiety. On the contrary, his presence in Baghdad is a
clear reminder of Iraq's occupation and of the occupying
forces' determination to impose its plan for the future
of Iraq on Iraqis.
Russia's opposition to the
colonization of Iraq by the "coalition of the willing"
has put the Russians on the side of the Iraqi opposition
groups, such as the SAIRI, which views Moscow as a
potential friend opposed to the colonization scheme for
its fear of turning Iraq into a springboard for the
expansion of US and British influence in the Middle
East, where Moscow is scrambling for political influence
and economic rewards.
During his meeting with
Maryasev, Hakim denied any SAIRI plan to establish a
religious regime in Baghdad in favor of a broad-based
government to which he and his group were committed.
Accordingly, this is the appropriate type of government
for a multi-ethnic country like Iraq. He added that such
a government had the backing of all those Iraqi
opposition groups that attended a conference in London
and its follow-up conference in the Iraqi Kurdistan city
of Salahuddin before Iraq's "liberation" by the invading
US and British troops.
Taking into
considerations the realities of their multi-ethnic
country, Hakim stressed that the Iraqi opposition groups
had agreed to form a federal government during those
conferences. While recognizing the ethnic diversity of
Iraq, this model of government ensures its territorial
integrity as hoped by those groups. As examples of
multi-ethnic countries, they considered Switzerland and
Belgium as appropriate models.
It is not a
secret that the two mentioned conferences to which the
SAIRI sent its representatives had the blessing of the
US government. However, the SAIRI, which opposes any
foreign domination of Iraq, viewed them as an
opportunity for the Iraqi opposition groups to agree on
a pro-Iraqi government to fill the inevitable vacuum of
power in the post-Saddam Hussein era.
Hence,
Hakim stated his disapproval of an effort to create a
US-puppet regime under any pretext, stressing that only
Iraqis should decide their future political system. His
Iraqi-based representatives acted on this view when they
refused to attend a "tent" conference organized by
Garner about a week ago as a first step of his "regime
building" project.
Going beyond expressing his
opposition to any US effort to exclude the major
opposition groups, such as the SAIRI, from the ongoing
regime-building process, Hakim spoke of the practicality
of creating a broad-based government in Iraq. He
therefore referred to the stationing in Baghdad of a
leadership council of the Iraqi opposition groups as set
up by the Salahuddin Conference, the last conference of
the Iraqi opposition prior to the Saddam regime's fall.
According to Hakim, its members now exercise "good
cooperation" in their bid to help run the country.
The absence of publicly available reports
currently makes impossible the verification of that
council's activities in Baghdad. Nevertheless, the
increasing number of reports on the emergence of local
leaders and neighborhood committees in the predominately
Shi'ite cities, such as Najaf and Karbala, and in the
Shi'ite neighborhoods of Baghdad indicates the existence
of a political and administrative structure on the
ground. Evidence, including the appearance of Hakim's
posters in popular political events, suggests that they
are at least partly run by pro-SAIRI individuals. The
latter have organized anti-occupation and pro-SAIRI
demonstrations in cities such as Nasiriyah.
Against this background, Hakim's reference to
the presence of a council in Baghdad implied its
willingness to take charge and act as a post-Saddam
Iraqi regime. This was therefore a clear hint that, as a
council member, the SAIRI is not prepared to sit idle
and let the Americans run Iraq, only to hand it over to
a US-puppet regime in the future. Such a regime should
likely seek to neutralize all its opponents to
consolidate itself. If such hints are of any indication,
the Americans should expect strong resistance to their
plan for creating a docile satellite state in Iraq.
Dr Hooman Peimani works as an
independent consultant with international organizations
in Geneva and does research in international
relations.
(©2003 Asia Times Online Co, Ltd.
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