Senior Cleric Dismisses Civil War in Iraq

Friday Prayers leader of the Iraqi city of Najaf here in Tehran on Friday stressed that there exists no civil war in his country and that the present unrests are originated and led from outside Iraq. Addressing Tehran’s international conference on Islamic Unity, Sadroddin Ghabanchi said that unity, independence and free political system set his country’s political principles, and reminded, “A 35-year-old dictatorship has been toppled down in Iraq and this is a great development that has taken place in Iraq and the entire region.”

“Everyone should know that this development has some requirements. The goal is replacement of the former autocracy with a liberal system. We want all Iraqi peoples and tribes to have a share in Iraq’s political system. We have even asked those who we believed did not seek Iraq’s interests to come and cooperate in the establishment of the new political system in our country,” he continued.

The cleric underlined that no civil war has occurred in Iraq, “rather a number of Takfiri groups, which have been imposed on us from outside, have come into harmony with the Ba’thist groups and kill Iraqi Shiites and Sunnites.”

Dismissing the reports promulgated by satellite news channels about the critical and worrying conditions in Iraq, he underscored, “… therefore, we do not worry about Iraq’s conditions, because there exists no domestic war in Iraq except for the activities of the alien Takfiri groups.”

He further underscored that the Iraqi nation is asking for the free presence of all groups on the country’s political scene.

Elsewhere, the Iraqi cleric said, “It will be impossible for the occupying troops to stay in Iraq for a long time, neither our religion, nor our patriotism allow this to happen. We are approaching the final days of occupation. Efforts are being made to procrastinate deployment of occupying troops in Iraq, but the said efforts and moves will be faced with the firm determination of the Iraqi nation.”

“The same way we toppled down Saddam Hussein, we are striving to cement our unity,” he said, mentioning that execution of Saddam took place as a result of national resolve and not in compliance with the will and aspiration of a specific group in Iraq.”

He further lashed out at those satellite channels which started mourning for Saddam Hussein after his execution, reminding that Saddam was the person who massacred thousands of Iranians, Kuwaitis and Iraqis.