Sabah al Mukhtar is one of two trustees of George Galloway’s “Viva Palestina” Hamas support operation.
In March Galloway called him “my right hand” in the Gaza give-money-to-Hamas escapade.
Their relationship goes back to the 1990s. Notably, al Mukhtar was vice president of Galloway’s Mariam Appeal.
In April I covered al Mukhtar’s enthusiasm for the contemporary value of “The Protocols of The Elders of Zion”, a notorious antisemitic hoax.
He expressed those views in an interview with Daryl Bradford Smith, an antisemitic lunatic.
Here he is in another interview with Smith, recorded in 2005. This time al Mukhtar dares to speak the troof about September 11:
The events have been so beyond the capability of quote unquote Al Qaeda, this myth which we have created. There are terrorist acts, but the idea that there is this super duper power which is there which is beyond the ability of the United States of America and the NATO and all sorts of other things can just never be right and can never be swallowed.
If we look at the events of the actual downing of the buildings at the World Trade Centre, this is beyond the ability of some individuals. It doesn’t matter how much they are trained. You know, the idea that they’ve done this because they had hand knives in their hands? Come on, tell me another one.
You can listen to the whole tape here. That segment starts at 25:23. There’s another entertaining bit starting at 38:10, where al Mukhtar congratulates Smith for his “important station” and says he recommends it to friends. “This is the station to listen to”. Remember, al Mukhtar is talking about the internet crankery of Daryl Bradford Smith.
Al Mukhtar is another British Islamist who has supported the murder of British troops. In July 2005 he attended a conference of Iraqis in Beirut. The conference delegates issued a call which concludes with this:
We hail the patriotic forces that are leading the valiant armed resistance to the occupation, and are hoisting the banner of Iraq high and its soul intact. We hail, too, the other patriotic forces that daily confront one of the most brutal occupiers known in history and are sparing no blood or sacrifice in this historic confrontation.
Indeed, not even the horrific lynching of four American security guards in Fallujah in 2004 moved the man:
[Miriam O’Callaghan:] That was a report from Donagh Diamond. I am now joined from London by Sabah al-Mukhtar, who is an Iraqi lawyer. Sabah al-Mukhtar, can anything justify the killings yesterday in Faluja?
Sabah al-Mukhtar (President, Arab League of Lawyers, London): Well, there are two things. First of all its a horrendous scene to be seen. However we must understand that a week ago the Americans killed fifteen people, fifteen civilians in Faluja. And a year ago Rumsfeld was talking about shock and awe. And the shock and awe wasn’t directed at only four or five or six soldiers. It was –
– Miriam O’Callaghan: Let me just come back in there for one moment, Sabah al-Mukhtar. Sorry for cutting across you. I mean it’s sounding to me like you aren’t condemning what happened yesterday.
Sabah al-Mukhtar: Well certainly I’m not condemning it. It’s a resistance movement. It shouldn’t have taken the form it has taken. But use of force by the Americans, by any occupying force, must be met by force if people had the –
– Miriam O’Callaghan: Sabah al-Mukhtar, how can you call it resistance when you get four civilians mutilated, decapitated, burned, beaten with bars, hung from bridges. I mean that just grotesquely irresponsible of you, isn’t it?
Sabah al-Mukhtar: Of course it is grotesque pictures to see. But probably you would have forgotten the 10,000 civilians who were scorched to death, you have forgotten the thousands of people who were mutilated, all they were called collateral damage, they were not intended victims. We seem to forget all these things. This world we’re living in is not a very nice world. Whether you kill four and mutilate them or you kill fifty and mutilate them, or tens of thousands of people. This is the world we are living in. But at the end of the day this is an occupying force –
Nor does Nick Berg’s fate merit a harsh call on his murderers:
Regarding contractors, they may be civilians in their normal lives, but they are under the command of the military and they have no immunity in international law. International law provides immunity for civilians who are not connected with the military occupying force. This is also granted to journalists and humanitarian aid workers such as the Red Cross, but most certainly not to those who are working under the orders of the military.
This is in general terms. Looking at the situation in Iraq, those who have come with the occupying forces, such as the four who were killed in Fallujah, are mercenaries who are contracted by the occupying power. They are legitimate targets for the resistance to the occupation.
…
I don’t know whether the video is genuine or not. It looked to me as if it is genuine. In terms of its implications, there are at least two extreme reactions to it. The first reaction is that it is abhorrent and unacceptable behavior. And the other extreme is that it is a punishment directed at the Americans as a reaction to their crimes.The first extreme point of view may result in hardening attitudes in the West and making people angry and claiming that is what they are fighting, i.e. terrorism. The other attitude would be based on the fact that such an action will make many people who would have otherwise worked for the occupying forces hesitant and reluctant to do so, and would serve as a warning for others that those involved with the occupying forces will be dealt with severely.
Between these two extremes, there are certainly a variety of other views. I personally think that while I disapprove of the beheading of this man, I think it will create fear in the hearts of those who would have otherwise gone to Iraq. I also think this will certainly not make the Iraqi situation any worse, as the situation is so bad at the moment that the Americans and the British and the rest cannot make it any worse.
Here at home in the UK, watch him play the violence card for his causes in a note to the Telegraph:
Condoning or justifying Israel’s action turn ordinary people to other means to be heard. Remember Lord Scarman Report on “Inner City Rioting”. Especially when they witness the impotence or de facto culpability of our Government that follows an “Ethical Foreign Policy” !
Pprevention of violent extremism and lack of civic participation will no doubt suffer when the British Government does not explicitly and unequivocally condemned the Israeli action as an act of ‘state terrorism’. Especially, after the slaughter of almost 1000 innocent Palestinians and almost 3000 injured in Gaza by the Israeli Government, which incidentally has an overwhelming support of the Israeli public !
Sabah al Mukhtar and his supporters should be treated no better than BNP thugs.
