Although the Iranian President was welcomed with great fanfare by Iraqi leaders a few days ago, Iranian intelligence officials are singing another tune. According to this news account from Iraq’s Azzaman newspaper, Iraq’s Intelligence chief Muhamad Abdullah Al-Shahwani has criticized the Iranian intelligence services for seeking to, ‘abort the experiment with the Awakening Councils,’ a collection of mostly Sunni groups that U.S. forces are backing to fight al-Qeada. Hinting at the root of the problem, Al-Shahwani said, ‘a number of senior Iraqi officials refuse to recognize the Awakening Councils and the positive role they have played in bringing new hope.’
By Karim Abd Zair in Baghdad and Nadal Al-Laithy in London
Translated By James Jacobson and Nicolas Dagher
February 28, 2008
Iraq – Azzaman – Original Article (Arabic)
The head of the Iraqi Intelligence Service, Muhamad Abdullah Al-Shahwani , yesterday criticized the Iranian intelligence services for seeking to, “abort the experiment with the Awakening Councils,” which are battling elements of al-Qaeda in Iraq. For his part, an advisor to the Awakening Councils, Tamir Al-Tamimi, told Azzaman,” the Awakening Councils have been targeted by the Iranians, either directly or indirectly, through terrorist organizations that cooperate with Iran, such as al-Qaeda.
He explained that these targetings often consist of attacks with explosive devices, suicide bombers or car bombs. Replying to a question about the government’s relationship to the [Shiite] militias, Al-Tamimi said: “There is no contact or coordination with them,” but he stressed that, “the Awakening Councils are always exposed to misbehavior from the militias, as has frequently occurred in neighborhoods of Baghdad such as Abu Ghraib, Al-Taji, Al-Basam, and the neighborhoods of Al-Amil, Al-Azmia, Al-Fadal, and others.” And he said, “We have always opposed and responded to such misbehavior.”
Al-Tamimi stressed that, “The government’s problem isn’t just material.” He pointed out that a number of senior officials refuse to recognize the Awakening Councils and the positive role they have played in bringing new hope. And he emphasized that this “non-recognition has a negative impact on our work.”
Detailing a statement issued by the Iraqi Intelligence Service, Al-Shahwani said that there is now information to confirm that throughout Iraq, Iranian intelligence has been paying certain elements to undermine the Awakening Councils.
About 80,000 people have joined the Awakening Councils since the beginning of last year, boosting the total number to 130,000. With the financial support of the American Army, the Councils were created to confront al-Qaeda when the government proved incapable of addressing the country’s security situation.
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