Palestinian Ambassador To Iraq Dr. Ahmad 'Aql: I Have Dealings With The PMU; When I Was Little, I Was Told Palestine's Liberators Would Come From The East

Palestinian Ambassador to Iraq Dr. Ahmed 'Aql spoke about Palestinian ties with the PMU on a show that aired on Al-Nujabaa TV (Iraq) on January 23, 2021. He said that the Palestinian diplomatic mission in Iraq are unashamed of their public ties with the PMU, "these are official bodies operating within Iraqi society," and neither the Iraqi government nor the Palestinian leadership disapproves of this relationship. 'Aql added that historically, Palestine has relied on Iraq and shared that as a child, he was told about a black-banner carrying army coming from the east to liberate Palestine. For more about Dr. Ahmad 'Aql, see MEMRI TV clips No. 7843, 7836, and 6617.

Dr. Ahmad 'Aql: "I have dealings with all the [Iraqi] political forces – you may call these forces the 'resistance' or the PMU... These are official bodies operating within Iraqi society, and are recognized by the [Iraqi] government. The government knows that I meet with them, and it does not disapprove. Our own leaders also know about this and they do not disapprove of these meetings. Therefore, I am not doing anything underground, and I do not meet with unrecognized organizations. So I do not feel awkward. These meetings are out in the open.

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Historically, Palestine has relied on Iraq. When I was little, our fathers and grandfathers used to tell us that Palestine would be liberated by a force coming from the east, carrying black banners, and led by someone called Ahmad, who would come from a village called Umm ar-Rasas."

Interviewer: "The path to Jerusalem passes through Karbala."

'Aql: "There are two places in Iraq called Umm ar-Rasas: one is an island located in Basra, and the other..."

Interviewer: "Our show is over."

'Aql: "Yes. Thus, this is the Palestinian bet."