Dubai: In an interview with Gulf News Iraq’s Deputy Prime Minister, Dr Bahaa Al Araji, he says his country completely rejects the presence of international troops.
He also defends the controversial appointment of Mohammad Ghaban as Interior Minister and says there are no plans to receive military forces from Iran to help in its fight against Daesh.
Iraq is battling an offensive by the radical Islamist militant group Daesh, which has seized swathes of land in both Iraq and Syria. Iraqi forces backed by Shiite militias and US-led air strikes are fighting to crush Daesh and wrest control back from its grip. On Sunday, Iraqi forces were able to retake four towns near Baghdad while Kurds regained control of the town of Zumar in the north. Al Araji insists that the Iraqi army did not fail in fighting Daesh, but that the Iraqi government was to blame for failing to create an effective army.
Gulf News: Does Iraq support a foreign troop presence to combat Daesh?
Bahaa Al Araji: Iraqis do not want the presence of foreign troops in their country. If there have been calls for US intervention and the presence of ground troops in Iraq, unfortunately these calls were made by local officials in some governorates.
This issue is not their business and they have nothing to do with it. Asking for the deployment of foreign troops on the ground in Iraq must be made via a request by the Iraqi government after it has been approved by parliament. There is a clear rejection by the Iraqi President, Prime Minister and parliament as well as by political blocs and even top religious authorities. This was clearly manifested in the recent visit by Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Al Abadi to Grand Ayatollah Ali Al Sistani, and their rejection of the presence of US troops in the country.
Gulf News: Iraqi, global and regional media carried news about an alleged American air bombardment of Iraqi troops by mistake, and inadvertently supplying Daesh with ammunition. Is this true?
Bahaa Al Araji: Whether this issue was intentional or unintentional, the issue concerns the lives of Iraqis and it is our responsibility to inquire about it.
Gulf News: It has been observed that a Sunni minister was appointed minister of defence, a ministry that is dominated by Shiites. Why is there an insistence on this formula, which proved to be a failure when Mosul fell to Daesh?
Bahaa Al Araji: This government, which is headed by Dr Al Abadi, is serious about putting an end to the quota-based system, but we have not so far succeeded in that. What is more important now is to succeed in ending the sectarian issue.
We are trying to build confidence. This should start at the top, where ministers should accept each other, without any distinction between Shiite, Sunni, Kurd and Christians. When you reach this level, these feelings will eventually reach the Iraqi street.
We were the first who supported the new Sunni defence minister and this is evidence that we are seeking professionalism and efficiency and not differentiating between sects.
Gulf News: Will the appointment of an interior minister who belongs to the Badr Organisation further feelings of distrust among Iraqis?
Bahaa Al Araji: When starting the process of selecting the ministers of interior and defence, there was a consensus that the interior and defence portfolios should be out of the quota system and full freedom be given to the Prime Minister in the selection of candidates (for these two ministries) in his capacity as the General Commander of the Armed Forces. But, when he did not succeed in this, the appointment of the ministers was delayed. Yet there was pressure on the Prime Minister by prominent figures and different political blocs to accept this or that [candidate].
If the issue had been postponed, two dangerous situations would have existed. The first is that the Prime Minister would appear to be insincere in his pledge to the Iraqi people that there is a time limit. So, the actual appointment of the ministers could be considered a victory because Dr Al Abadi would thus have kept his promise. The second issue, which relates to the risks of delaying the appointments, is that the security ministries would continue to be vacant for a long time, which is not in the interest of the country. I see the new Interior Minister Mohammad Salem Ghaban is a person with experience and a long history in the security and military file.
Gulf News: Will the compulsory recruitment law be reinstated?
Bahaa Al Araji: There are demands in this field, and all of which are legitimate. Compulsory recruitment has its advantages. Firstly, we will get rid of sectarianism. When we call up recruits born in a specific year from all Iraq’s provinces to be together during training for long days, they will understand each other. Friendships will be formed between them, something that disappeared during all these barren years that Iraq has gone through. I, personally, support this project.
Gulf News: Is there any intention to hold to account at least in parliament the General Commander of the Armed Forces and former prime minister Nouri Al Maliki for the negligence that led to the fall of Mosul to Daesh?
Bahaa Al Araji: We have to abandon reprisals. The negligent must be brought to account, but not to take revenge against the former prime minister. Al Maliki was the professional and legal responsibility. We should stop living in the past. We have to focus on two points, which are ending corruption and preserving Iraqi blood.
Gulf News: Masoud Barzani, President of Kurdistan Iraq, said he had contacted Nouri Al Maliki before the fall of Mosul and told him about the suspicious movements of Daesh. But, Al Maliki did not lift a finger. So, how do you view this case?
Bahaa Al Araji: I also heard about this contact between Masoud Barzani and Nouri Al Maliki. The problem lies in the Iraqi state and security institutions, especially as we do not have a commander who can appraise the existing situation, whether in Mosul or in Ramadi now. Some of them (the security commanders), not all of them, are affiliated with political movements aligned with the former regime, and others do not exhibit enough professionalism. Even if those have had good intentions and want to serve [the country], we see that they lack the tools and military skill to fight.
Therefore, the situation that had been notified to the former general commander Nouri Al Maliki was not realistic.
Gulf News: The current Iraqi government is the fourth national Cabinet to be formed since 2003. But, the appointments were not based on academic considerations and until now there are no technocrats to run the country. Why should there be three vice-presidents in the country while one is sufficient?
Bahaa Al Araji : Many ministers were imposed on Dr Haider Al Abadi, and this is what he said when the government was being formed. A minister’s position is a political one; but specialisation is also important. We have to move on with the perspective that the ministry must be professional. A relevant decision was issued in the first Cabinet meeting. The Civil Service Law was also passed. It was decided to create a department for appointments. Therefore, the ministry will not be responsible for this, but the department, which will provide ministries and provinces with people on pro-rata basis. The deployment is to be based on scientific disciplines. The time limit to create this body is three months, through which we will get rid of the (sectarian) quotas.
Gulf News: Iraqi Kurds have occupied all disputed areas after the conquest of Daesh and its occupation of Mosul. Is the Iraqi Constitution’s Article 140 on disputed areas between provinces still relevant?
Bahaa Al Araji: We asked Kurdish officials and they said that Iraq is in a state of war and we have to maintain Iraqi land, wherever is. They added that if they were asked to be in Ramadi, they would move there. Regarding the legal status of Article 140 of the Constitution, it is still in place and, God willing, we will finish off Daesh and its allies. After that, we will deal with a process set in the Constitution that follows a census, then a referendum on disputed territories.
Gulf News: Do you feel that a Kurdish state is actually starting to take shape with its own army, oil and expansion? How do you feel about that?
Bahaa Al Araji: We have heard from our Kurdish brothers, including former Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, that the elements of a state in the region are not present. This region has neither borders nor seas. The Kurds are proud of being part of Iraq, and we are keen on having them with us as a one body. But the political differences during the period of the former regime subjected them to genocide, which pushed them to think of secession and self-determination. Now, however, the application of the constitution will make them stick to remain within Iraq.
Gulf News: After the army failed to stand against Daesh, the holy religious authority in Iraq made an appeal for the formation of the popular forces of volunteers. Have these volunteers become a more important alternative to the Iraqi army? And what about the new national forces law in Iraq?
Bahaa Al Araji: The army did not fail in confronting Daesh, but we have failed in creating an army. Therefore, as I said before the last elections, that anyone who wants to serve in this institution should have competence. But regrettably, after the occupation in 2003 and the collapse of many of the state institutions and the persistence of unemployment, those who went to the army or the security institutions were only seeking salaries not having a [real] desire to join the armed forces.
The National Guard is a double-edged sword, and the problem lies in how it was formed. If it is built on the basis of sectarian, regional, or party basis, it will fail and harbingers of a civil war will appear. But, if there is a law before starting the process of putting this army together, which stipulates core foundations for establishing a security institution, this will be good.
Gulf News: When will those responsible for the fall of 2,000 Iraqi martyrs at Camp Speicher and Saqlawiya, killed by Daesh, be held accountable?
Bahaa Al Araji: The first action taken by the General Commander of the Armed Forces after the formation of the government was to remove the accused from their positions and establish an investigative committee at the Ministry of Defence to probe this issue. If the Committee gave its recommendation, the matter would be referred to courts. It has become a public opinion issue today.
I was a member of parliament at the time, and followed up the issue like others. Even if there was no betrayal, there was huge neglect, the consequences of which are on a par with betrayal.
Gulf News: Winter has begun. What are the Iraqi government plans to provide support to the refugees who live in tents in fields of mud?
Bahaa Al Araji: This dossier is in the hands of Saleh Al Mutlaq, the second deputy prime minister, and funds were allocated for it by the foregoing government. The displaced are our brothers and their numbers are very large. We must resolve this issue before it turns into a crisis and leads to massive popular resentment. I discussed this issue with Al Mutlaq, and I would say that a decision must be issued by the cabinet or parliament at least for everybody to bear the responsibility.
Gulf News: Is there any coordination between you and the government of Bashar Al Assad in Syria on military operations against Daesh?
Bahaa Al Araji: In my opinion, there must be cooperation because Daesh exists in Syria and Iraq, and it is a cancer that must be uprooted. Daesh exists in Iraq, but it was formed in Syria.
Gulf News: If there is a real threat to Baghdad by Daesh, is there any agreement to receive Iranian military forces to defend Baghdad, especially as these forces were seen during the past two days entering the city of Kut?
Bahaa Al Araji: This is also one of the circulated rumours. Unfortunately, those who collaborate with Daesh are waging psychological war and war of rumours, and this is one of them. I confirm that in any country around the world, nobody can stand against the dangers that threaten land except the sons of the land themselves. Therefore, we do not count on any state, including the Islamic Republic [of Iran]. But there are sacred places, the Islamic Republic expressed its willingness to protect Najaf and Karbala, and we do not object to this matter. However, we until now are not in need of this help. As for Baghdad, we are able to protect it.
