iran helps Iraq stand up against American occupiers

The western media would paint conflicts in Iraq as being of a sectarian nature – with Iran being behind the Shi'ites.

An important point, made by journalist Robert Fisk several years ago, is that prior to the American invasion in 2003, sectarian differences simply didn't exist – people had their own clan loyalties and included both Shi'ites and Sunnis.

This divide has been created by the Iraq war by the United States as a 'divide-and-rule' policy.

Iran support vital to post-US Iraq survival: Basim Abu-Tabikh

The support of the Islamic Republic of Iran has enabled the weak and newly established government of Iraq to stand up to the occupying American forces, says an analyst.

Press TV,

6 January, 2013

The comment comes as Iraq has been the scene of anti-government demonstrations since December 23 when the bodyguards of Finance Minister Rafie al-Issawi were arrested on terrorism-related charges. 
 

Demonstrators allege that the arrests were made on sectarian grounds and demand an end to anti-terrorism laws, but the government says it is up to the parliament to decide on abolishing such laws. 
 

On Friday, anti-government protests took place in several Iraqi cities, including Salahuddin, Diyala, Kirkuk, and Nineveh Provinces, while demonstrators in the western Anbar Province continued to block off a highway linking Iraq to Syria and Jordan for a 12th successive day. 
 

Press TV has conducted an interview with Beirut-based Iraqi political analyst, Basim Abu-Tabikh, to further discuss the issue. He is joined by state of law coalition representative, Sa’ad al-Motallebi in Baghdad and Iraqi political activist Dahlia Wasfi in Wilmington. The following is a rough transcription of the interview. 
 

Press TV So where does the line come in from one; how do you make the distinction: one, legitimate demonstrators, legitimate citizens who are making legitimate demands and then as Premier al-Maliki has said infiltrators who are basically just trying to cause trouble? Let me switch over to Beirut and get Mr. Abu-Tabikh in on that. 
 

Abu-Tabikh Hello to you and your guests. Actually the demonstrations began on the arrest of the Finance Minister Rafi al-Issawi, the guard of the finance minister, that’s actually, it’s been used by the politician to involve ... in Iraq which is the Western city in Iraq, to involve them to be this actually which is not real to that make the Sunni group in Iraq which they don’t have their share from the government or the new political project in Iraq. 
 

This is also the sign of [fugitive deputy of former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein Izzat Ibrahim] al-Douri mentioned that which is actually I really disagree with everything he said but the only thing he is wearing all the Iraqi civilian and all the Iraqi work in the government to kill everyone supporting the government. 
 

He actually is digging in the water. He is forgetting by all Iraqi memory but I do want to mention they excused [Prime Minister Nouri] al-Maliki and the Sunni they didn’t have their own share of the new politics... and al-Maliki being pushed in the Dijla forces early last month to Kurdistan to protect most of the protection for the Sunni city like Kirkuk, and Musel and Salahuddin, which is the birth city of Saddam Hussein, the previous Iraqi ruler. 
 

That means al-Maliki has never been supporting one group in Iraq also when he attacked the Shia militia in southern Iraq this also gives him wide support of whole Iraq. Actually no way that one group in Iraq can change the political project; always there is an election with eight million people. We have to respect that election. 
 

But then as you said, al-Mottalibi said, I agree with him there is a lack of service to the old Iraqi but it can be used by the the other country, foreign country to make conflict of sectarian war in Iraq. This is what we don’t need. America tried that before, when the time was Zalmay Khalilzad, the ambassador of the American embassy in Iraq, they tried, they bombed Samarra, they bombed the whole places there; they tried to make these conflict never succeed. 
 

Press TV Prime Minister Maliki has pointed the finger at outsiders playing a role in all of this. How much of that do you think is true? How much of this is from the Iraqis themselves and legitimate demands and how much do you think is outside influence and if so what outside influence, from whom? 
 

Abu-Tabikh

I just want to add something to the conversation actually that is about Iran. I just want to say Iran actually has done a big favor to whole Iraqis. I just want to say when the Americans withdraw this is the most strong and powerful arm in the world.

America was based in Iraq for a few years and they have an agreement with Iraq. Iraq has a very weak government; it’s a new country which is newly established country. 
 

There is no way the Iraqis can tell the Americans leave Iraq without leaving bases in Iraq but the support of Iran which I have to mention, I am an Iraqi national but the support of Iran and Iran has actually done big favor to all Iraqis that able the prime minister to tell the Americans you are not able to leave bases in Iraq. This is one thing and Iran is also the first country to accept the political project in Iraq.

There is no way that the demonstrating can mix with the lack of service in Iraq within the politics issue but also your question, in all the neighboring countries there is actually sectarian war in the area now. 
 

They’ve been used by Turkey, by Saudi Arabia, by Qatar, all the countries, actually the Sunni Saudi Arabia already gone to fight in Syria and try to put himself as a Sunni leader in the region that doesn’t suit Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia actually they are Wahabi but they named themselves the Sunni leader in the whole Muslim world but they failed also. Arabs are going to come to them as soon as possible. 
 

This is going to change the map in the area but Iraq paid the price because the Iraqi government stands on the side of the Syrian people. Iraq disagrees with changing the Syrian government by force. Iraq welcomes democracy in Syria and Iraq welcomes paying the price of all this... because Iraq is side by side with Syria to support the Syrian people.