Senior Iraqi Politician Mowaffak Rubaei Threatens U.S.: "Friendly Fire" Incidents Will End Your Presence in Iraq

During a recent interview, Iraqi MP Mowaffak Rubaei, former Iraqi National Security Advisor, warned the U.S. to "beware not to make the mistake" of hitting the Al-Hashd Al-Shaabi militia commanders or the Iranians who came to help and then calling it "friendly fire." If that were to happen, the Americans would no longer have any political, military, or economic presence in Iraq, Rubaei told the Hona Baghdad TV interviewer, in a show that aired on March 27, 2015.

Following are excerpts:

Mowaffak Rubaie: The U.S. involvement in the bombings in Tikrit is good for us, so that people will not claim that this is sectarian war.

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The July 2014 defeat, when ISIS entered three and a half Iraqi provinces, is a blessing in disguise. It's good for us. Do you know why? Because if I had told you a year ago…

Interviewer: Did ISIS unite you?

Mowaffak Rubaie: Yes, absolutely.

Interviewer: Did ISIS unite the politicians?

Mowaffak Rubaie: It united the people.

Interviewer: The people were united even before.

Mowaffak Rubaie: No, sir. They were not.

[…]

Interviewer: The withdrawal of Asa'ib Ahl Al-Haq, the [Al-Nujaba] Brigades, and other forces fighting alongside Al-Hashd Al-Shaabi – what does this tell you, the politicians?

Mowaffak Rubaie: I'd leave it up to the Asa'ib Ahl Al-Haq and the Brigades to explain this.

Interviewer: They say that the involvement of the U.S. and the international coalition is what made them withdraw [from the fighting].

Mowaffak Rubaie: I believe that the position of the government is very clear. The [militias] help our forces, but they are free to do as they wish. We are grateful to them for volunteering to join the fight. But let me tell you one thing, and I hope that the Americans are listening carefully. They should listen to me carefully. Let Dempsey hear me. Let Obama hear me. Let [CENTCOM commander] Lloyd Austin hear me. Let James Terry hear me… He is the three-star general from the embassy.

They'd better beware not to make the mistake of hitting a single commander of Al-Hashd Al-Shaabi, or of the people from Iran whom we invited to help us. They'd better beware not to make that mistake, and later say that it was "friendly fire." They'd better beware! Maybe that was the reason for the withdrawal of Asa'ib Ahl Al-Haq and the Brigades: To avoid being hit by the so-called "friendly fire." Rest assured that if such a thing happens… Are you listening carefully? The Americans will no longer have any presence in Iraq – not political, not military, and not economic.

Interviewer: Is this a veiled threat to…

Mowaffak Rubaie: Yes. The Americans should understand this. This is warning to the United States. It must be extremely accurate in choosing its military targets and make no mistakes. They cannot say that they were targeting ISIS members, but hit an IRGC commander, for example, or a commander in the Brigades, Asa'ib Ahl Al-Haq, Badr forces, the Martyr Al-Sadr forces, or any of the Al-Hashd Al-Shaabi commanders we rely on. This must not happen because it will cause a great crisis for the government. Even people like me, who believe that our vital relations with Iran and strategic relations with the U.S. are not in conflict when it comes to Iraq, and that we can have the best of both worlds… We will not be able to have the best of both worlds anymore if this happens.

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