Resistance Movement Rejects Any Foreign Military Presence on Iraqi Soil
In an Interview with al-Alam, Nasr al-Shammari criticized the bypassing of the parliament and the legitimacy of the occupiers by the transitional administration.
“Some politicians, including the president and the minister of foreign affairs, have opposed the United States’ withdrawal because they use the United States more than the ballot box,” he said, according to the Communication and Media Affairs Centre of al-Nujaba in Iran.
He explained the Islamic Resistance’s opposition to changing the title of the occupying forces, telling the advisor, “When an American reaches the rank of advisor, it is necessary for a hundred fighters to actually accompany him to provide protection, logistical support and various services, which will increase the number of American troops on Iraqi soil.”
Al-Shammari, while dismissing the United States’ threats against al-Nujaba as insignificant, also noted, “We have enough power and facilities for stronger attacks in response to these threats.”
He called on the Iraqi government to explain the withdrawal of foreign troops from the country and asked, “How will they leave? How will the advisers come? How many will come and what is their authority? Do they have immunity? Will they have bodyguards? If they have protection or air support, the occupation will not only not change, it will be worse than before.”
The spokesman of the al-Nujaba continued, “If this is a real retreat and not a cover for the presence of the United States in Iraq or to justify its presence, we will be very happy. This is the position of al-Nujaba and of course, I do not think our brothers in other Islamic Resistance groups have a different view.”
Al-Shammari called for the control of the General Staff of the Iraqi Armed Forces over all American bases, adding, “Relevant parliamentary or governmental committees can make surprise visits to these bases and reassure the Iraqi people that American troops are not present.”
He stipulated that al-Nujaba does not accept any foreign military presence on Iraqi soil and warned, “It does not matter to us whether they are advisers, combat forces or any other type. We consider any foreign military presence on Iraqi soil to be hostile and a legitimate target for Iraqi Islamic Resistance groups. Even if we accept the presence of advisers, there is really no need for thousands of advisors.”
The spokesman of the al-Nujaba Islamic Resistance Movement criticized the circumvention of the parliamentary resolution and the legitimacy of the occupiers by the transitional administration, adding, “The silence of the al-Kadhimi administration in the face of the bloodshed of the people and the shameful humility towards the United States can only be interpreted as bowing down to the hegemonic power.”
Al-Shammari repeated, “If American forces really retreat, the al-Nujaba Movement will welcome it. However, some politicians, including the president and the minister of foreign affairs, have opposed the withdrawal of the United States because they seek to seize power from foreigners against their own people and use the United States more than the ballot box.”
He continued by emphasizing that “the al-Nujaba Movement has sworn in its honour to stand against the United States and considers martyrdom for the cause as the highest honour” and added, “The Islamic Resistance groups have access to all of the United States’ interests in Iraq and are ready for any retaliation.”
At the end of the interview, the official spokesman of the al-Nujaba Movement referred to the attack on the embassy of the United States in Baghdad, “I never say I agree or disagree with this. I have no objection to any group or individual targeting the American occupiers. The embassy of the United States is the largest military base in the capital, where they have deployed the C-RAM anti-aircraft and anti-missile system and we have even heard that they intend to deploy the Patriot system. Every Iraqi fighter has the right to target this foreign base specifically because Iraq is secretly managed from the Den of Satan.”
