In a recent TV interview, Iraqi MP and liberal Shi'ite cleric Ayad Jamal Al-Din extolled the democracy in Iraq – which he called the "beacon of democracy" – made possible solely through U.S. efforts. In the interview, aired on the Iraqi Al-Fayhaa TV channel on February 9, 2010, Al-Din said that the U.S. had planted "the seed of democracy... in a land alien to democracy and that it would "continue to cultivate this seed, until the tree grows and offers shade to the region in its entirety." Iraqis, he said, were better off with a democratic country, "sponsored by the strongest power in the world, the U.S."
Jamal Al-Din, a long-standing critic of Iranian interference in Iraqi affairs, said: "We reject Iranian influence and money, as well as Saudi money. ... The Iraqi people reject both catastrophes – that of the Rule of the Jurisprudent and that of Wahhabism."
Jamal Al-Din is the head of Iraq’s Al-Ahrar (liberal) party and is currently a candidate in the 2010 Iraq parliamentary elections.
Following are excerpts from the interview. To view this clip on MEMRI TV, visit:
http://www.memritv.org/clip/en/2379.htm.
For a recent report on the life of Ayad Jamal Al-Din and his political, religious, and social views, visit:
http://www.memri.org/report/en/0/0/0/0/0/0/3920.htm.
For more on Al-Din, visit: http://www.memri.org/subject/en/821.htm.
Political Process in Iraq Due Solely to U.S. Efforts
Ayad Jamal Al-Din: "The entire political process in Iraq was made possible solely by American efforts. It was the U.S. that entered Baghdad, toppled Saddam, and ruled Iraq for a while, through Ambassador Bremer, and what ensued is known to all.
"The U.S. is not a bunch of teenagers or children, whose political conduct is reckless, like the conduct of Saddam and perhaps some of the current Arab leaders. The U.S. is a country with institutions, plans, and a strategy. The work they do in Iraq is not futile or juvenile. It's not that they topple Saddam one day, and bring [Iraqi Ba'th Leader] 'Izzat Al-Dori to power the next day. That's not how it works."
"When the U.S. entered Iraq, it aroused the fear of countries that are not part of the American camp – Iran and Syria, to be precise. These are two independent countries that have nothing to do with the U.S."
Jordan, the Gulf States, and Egypt – Strategic Allies of the U.S., Supporting them with Money, Intel, and Troops
"As for Jordan, the Gulf countries, and Egypt – these are American countries par excellence. This is no secret. These countries do not, and cannot, deny it. These countries are part of the [American] lobby, and are considered strategic allies of the United States. They cannot object to the U.S. will, or oppose its efforts and decisions.
"The planes and tanks that toppled Saddam – where were they launched from? From the Gulf states, Jordan, and Egypt. These countries played a real role in these efforts – supporting the U.S. with money, with intelligence, and even with soldiers.
"When one of the Gulf leaders writes his memoirs, you will know how many soldiers, from the Gulf and elsewhere, participated in the toppling of the Saddam Hussein regime. [...]
"I cannot blame Iran or Syria for being terrified by the U.S. presence in Iraq. These countries are afraid. They say: We are the enemies of the U.S., and vice versa. Now the U.S. is in Iraq.
"But as for the weak Gulf states – they are as happy as can be that Iraq has become American. It is the American Iraq that defends them and protects their stability. [...]
"Iraqi politicians – both party leaders and state officials – have voiced doubts about the U.S., and have said that the U.S. wants to restore the Ba'th Party, and that the U.S. has surrendered to the Sunni Arab countries, which want to restore Sunni rule in Iraq. All this talk has nothing to do with politics or with logic."
It Is Better for the Iraqis to Have a U.S.-Sponsored Democracy
"The U.S. brought the seed of democracy, and planted it in a land alien to democracy. The U.S. will continue to cultivate this seed, until the tree grows and offers shade to the region in its entirety.
"Iraq is the beacon of democracy [in the Middle East]. The American democracy in Iraq terrifies Iran, first and foremost. Anyone who tries to say otherwise does not understand the political reality, or else he speaks on behalf of Iran.
"Iran does not want to see a single U.S. soldier in Iraq even for one moment. This is Iran's legitimate right. I'm not saying it isn't. But it is better for us, the Iraqis, for our country to be a democracy, sponsored by the strongest power in the world, the U.S., and for all America's friends to be our friends as well. [...]"
We Reject Both the Rule of the Jurisprudent and Wahhabism
"We reject Iranian influence and money, as well as Saudi money. If the money of Saudi businessmen is used to support some impulsive people – we reject it as well. The Iraqi people reject both catastrophes – that of the Rule of the Jurisprudent and that of Wahhabism."
