Wednesday, August 25, 2004

Al-Quds Al-`Arabi (which manages to combine admiration for Saddam and Bin Laden) published an interview with a "member of the command of the "Iraqi Resistance." The leader said that the "resistance" is now organized and united, and is responsible for 70% of "attacks." He also said that the movement does not agree with Abu Mus`ab Az-Zarqawi because he "violated" Islamic ideology. This leader was (according to the paper) "closely related" to Bin Laden until 3 years ago. He added that there is one command for the "resistance" and it comprises Iraqis and other Arab citizens, and that it supervises 70 % of operations in Iraq against "Americans and their collaborators." This source also said that the resistance command threatened Zarqawi with "restraint by force after his repeated violations of Islamic ideology." He also adds that the resistance prevented Zarqawi from issuing statements and from violating "its rules and regulations." He also said that the resistance "did not welcome" the beheading of Nick Berg, and that "there was no evidence that he was an American agent." But the source argued that it is permissible to kill members of the Iraqi police and National Guard because they are "humiliated agents who receive funds from the Americans and are responsible for the killing of hundreds of Iraqis." He said that Zarqawi "excels" when it comes to "explosives and planning of military operations" and that he has received support from the resistance but that most members of the resistance are now against him due to "deep ideological differences." The source said that supporters of Saddam Husayn constitute no more than 15 % of the resistance and that they are under the command of `Izzat Ibrahim Ad-Duri, and that "they" are "very useful for the resistance, especially the former Mukhabarat [intelligence apparatus] officials", who provide "valuable information about places and people." He confirmed the presence of Saudi fighters, and said that funding comes from "wealthy Iraqis, but mostly from Saudi citizens."