The website of Campo Antiimperialista– the folks seeking 5 Euros apiece from us for the Iraqi “resistance”– features an interview with one Jabbar al Kubaysi, “leader of the Iraqi Patriatic [sic] Alliance which strives to unify the Iraqi resistance movement into a common political National Resistance and Liberation Front.”
Kubaysi appears to be a dissident Baathist exile who– a few months before the US invasion– visited Baghdad with the “Iraqi National Alliance” as part of the Iraqi regime’s propaganda that it was interested in establishing a pluralist, democratic government.
At the time Kubaysi said his group’s visit with Iraqi officials “confirmed our expectations that the political leadership in Iraq is interested in political democracy issues…and is always willing to discuss the party pluralism laws.” He also said resistance to the United States was the first priority under the current circumstances.
In the latest interview Kubaysi says:
“It was obvious that Saddam was under the influence of drugs being given to him in blatant violation of the basic human rights. According to my information Saddam was caught already two weeks earlier.”
“After months of intensive talks we will be able to proclaim the resistance front within a few weeks. We are already about to finalise the programmatic declaration.”
“There is no official representation of the [Baath] party [in the front] as they are all occupied by hiding themselves. But many members joined the front or support it.”
Perhaps Kubaysi’s most astonishing comment is this:
“What is happening in the Kurdish areas is unbelievable. The collaboration with the Americans does not only affect the leadership but big parts of the population as well. This explains why we could not find a Kurdish force to join the resistance front though we tried. Our doors are still open.”
It is unbelievable, isn’t it? Just because Saddam Hussein gassed to death 100,000 of their people, Kurds are actually willing to cooperate with the forces that freed them from him.
Finally Kubaysi said: “We invite all the honest anti-war activists to express their solidarity. In coming to occupied Iraq they can only choose the occupants [sic] or the resistance. There is not [sic] other side.”
My impression is that Kubaysi is blowing a huge amount of smoke. If someone was seriously involved in organizing a resistance, wouldn’t he be a little more, um, covert? But he’s probably worth keeping an eye on.
