'No place in new Iraq for Palestinians' (Strong ties with Israel, no Palestinians in new Iraq)

Jerusalem Post ^ | Apr. 10, 2003 | Douglas Davis

[Asher]

Apr. 10, 2003

'No place in new Iraq for Palestinians'

By DOUGLAS DAVIS

There will be strong ties with Israel but no place for Palestinians in the new Iraq, a leading member of the Iraqi National Congress (INC) told me late Wednesday night.

The Washington-backed organization, a secular, democratic umbrella for Iraq's Shi'ite, Sunni, and Kurdish communities, is committed to a unitary state, with a large measure of autonomy for what they envisage will be three federal components.

Until recently, the vigorously pro-Western movement was based in London. Now most of its leaders have relocated to various parts of Iraq, planning to converge on Baghdad within the coming days and preparing, with American support, to announce the formation of a provisional government.

One of the most elegant and eloquent princes of the INC is Nabeel Musawi, right-hand man of INC leader Ahmad Chalabi and scion of a prominent Shi'ite family from Baghdad.

Musawi fled into exile aged 18 when his father was arrested and later executed. Now in his early 40s, he is destined for a key role in a future Iraqi administration.

Speaking from Dokan, in liberated northern Iraq, Musawi took pleasure in describing the unbridled celebrations the spontaneous, uninhibited joy on the streets of Iraq's towns and cities as ordinary Iraqis celebrated the toppling of Saddam's statue in Baghdad's Paradise Square. "All our cities are euphoric," he told me, the allied bombing of nearby Kirkuk clearly audible in the background over our satellite phone link.

Musawi reminds me that hundreds of thousands of Palestinians were expelled from the Gulf states after the 1991 war in retribution for their complicity with Saddam, particularly in Kuwait, where they collaborated with his enforcers in identifying key personnel after the Iraqi invasion. All were arrested, many were never seen again.

Today, the large Palestinian community is regarded by INC leaders as a loathsome fifth column, among the most faithful followers of Saddam Hussein. Will the Palestinians be welcome to remain in a new, post-Saddam Iraq?

"Absolutely not," Musawi snapped.

Nor, for that matter, will Arabs who had opposed the US-led war to deliver freedom to the Iraqi people.

And the UN? "They did not play a very honorable role when it came to dealing with Saddam," he said. "We believe the UN needs to put its own house in order before it can play a credible role here."

Musawi is equally unequivocal when talking enthusiastically of his hopes for the closest possible ties with Israel.

We had spoken before of the INC vision of an "arc of peace" that would run from Turkey, through Iraq and Jordan to Israel, creating a new fulcrum in the Middle East. Does that concept still stand? "You know we have always wanted that," he said.

When Musawi flew out of London for his personal date with destiny, he left behind a thriving IT business. Now transplanted to his old-new homeland, he commands some 1,200 of the 3,000 US-armed and trained INC fighters who are now deployed in Iraq.

After the toppling of that statue in Baghdad on Wednesday, Musawi decided to test the water by taking a walk through town without his ubiquitous security detail. To his surprise, he was mobbed by the local people, anxious to kiss his hand.

He does not believe that Saddam is dead or that he has left the country, although he strongly suspects that Syria has become a "safe haven" for Saddam's considerable assets, as well as his wife and daughters. His eldest son, Uday, might also be there.

The tyrant-turned-fugitive is on the run, and Musawi suspects that Saddam's traditional followers in his supposed power-base of Tikrit, aware of America's ferocious response if he seeks refuge there, will not be welcoming.

[EternalVigilance]

The more I hear about these folks, the more I like em.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

Today, the large Palestinian community is regarded by INC leaders as a loathsome fifth column, among the most faithful followers of Saddam Hussein. Will the Palestinians be welcome to remain in a new, post-Saddam Iraq? "Absolutely not," Musawi snapped

You can always tell which way to place your bets by watching the Palestinians. Whatever way they bet, bet the other way.

BTW I like this guy.

[Support Free Republic]

CHEAP THRILLS - $1 (the first one's free!)
	If every FR member gave a buck a month, we wouldn't need fundraisers. Donate Here By Secure Server Or mail checks to FreeRepublic , LLC PO BOX 9771 FRESNO, CA 93794 or you can use PayPal at Jimrob@psnw.com
STOP BY AND BUMP THE FUNDRAISER THREAD- It is in the breaking news sidebar!

[goldstategop]

Most of the Arabs fighting for Saddam have been foreigners. Its amazing how the Palis keep shooting themselves in the gut by siding with vicious dictators.

[azhenfud]

And the UN? "They did not play a very honorable role when it came to dealing with Saddam," he said. "We believe the UN needs to put its own house in order before it can play a credible role here."

Do you have a "Quote for the Week"? This is gold....

[Drammach]

I have read of rumors of a small jewish community among the kurds.
I had no idea whether it was true or not.

While looking at pics of the kurds entering Kirkuk last night, I saw a group of youngsters perched on an abandoned Iraqi armored vehicle.
They had propped up the image (painting?) of some patriarchal leader in traditional garb, with attendant sword and headdress, etc..
The portrait was framed in what appeared to be a STAR OF DAVID.. a six-pointed star!

Just guessing here, but I would bet that display of a six pointed star anywhere in the arab nations is a sure, one-way ticket to dead land..
Yet, here was what one would assume is the "most offensive" symbol in the islamic middle east displayed by a bunch of kids on a tank in the middle of Kirkuk, Iraq.

Maybe there really are kurdish jews..

[Asher]

"I have read of rumors of a small jewish community among the kurds."

Yes, and there were also Chinese Jews (a very ancient and venerable community) and Indian Jews.

From something I just posted:

A particularly intriguing case illustrating this is that of the Kurdish Jews, said to be the descendants of the Ten Tribes of Israel who were exiled in 723 BCE. to the area known today as Kurdistan, located in Northern Iraq, Iran and Eastern Turkey. They continued to live there as a separate entity until their immigration to Israel in the 1950s. The Kurdish Jews of today show a much greater affinity to their fellow Jews elsewhere than to the Kurdish Moslems.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/890777/posts

[ravingnutter]

Nabeel Musawi well deserves an honorable place at the table...he has been working a long time for this effort. He is cited as helping lead the Kurdish rebels in the north of Iraq until they were abandoned by the Clinton Administration in 1996. The complete story of the Clinton Administration failure to assist the INC can be found here. Incidentally, this story states that it was the first Bush Administration that assisted in founding the INC.

[ken5050]

Thanks for the article...if you wold, please ping me when you next post from the JP

Two issues would seem to me determinant in what becomes of Iraq:

Short term: will Iraq stay in OPEC?

Long term: will the new Iraqi government be secular, or will it call for an Islamist state..

[Let's Roll]

Guy sounds great - let's hope we can keep him and others like him alive!

[azhenfud]

If the U.N. can be kept out or its participation kept minimal, he and democracy may have a chance.

[yonif]

I like this guy.

[Republic of Texas]

The Pali's have a long and storied history of being stupid. That's why Jordan killed many and expelled the rest in 1975. That's right, expelled them from their ANCESTRAL HOMELAND. (What? You mean the West Bank isn't their ancestral homeland? But CNN says it is!)