In light of the Bush Administration’s hard line on Iran and the White House’s perceived lack of credibility, the question is often asked how much influence Tehran really has in Iraq. According to this op-ed article by Khadir Taahar, an admittedly pro-Western columnist for Iraq’s Kitabat newspaper, ‘All posts given to Shiites, starting with the position of Minister to that of Deputy Minister, ambassador, director-general, governor, chief of police, mayor and others … were awarded based on lists provided by Tehran and cross-referenced with lists of people working with the coalition [the U.S. and its partners]. All names were checked in terms of history and absolute loyalty to Iran, and in light of these results, these individuals were given these posts.’
By Khadir Taahar
Translated By James Jacobson
January 30, 2007
Iraq – Kitabat – Original Article (Arabic)
It seems that Iraqi culture has become a prisoner of Islamic political terrorist groups. After former Minister of Culture Asad Al-Hashemi fled [a Sunni ], Jaber Al-Jabri, who formerly bore the name Mudin al-Musawi, assumed the post of Culture Minister. He’s a member of the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council , which was established by Iranian intelligence during the war against Iraq [1980-1988], and which was tasked with missions of spying, torture, the execution of the captured Iraqi soldiers and participating in the war against Iraq as a state – and not against the regime of Saddam Hussein!
It is known that all the posts given to Shiite elements, starting with the position of Minister to that of Deputy Minister, ambassador, director-general, governor, chief of police, mayor and others … all of these were awarded based on lists provided by Tehran and cross-referenced with lists of people working with the coalition [the U.S. and its partners]. All names were checked in terms of history and absolute loyalty to Iran and in light of these results, these individuals were given these positions.
And when Jaber Al-Jabri was appointed Deputy Minister of Culture … it was not a random appointment … Iranian planners are working quietly behind the scenes to “Persianize” Iraqi culture, seeking to undermine the Arabic national identity of Iraq. Al-Jabri was put into this position to implement that plan and under the pretext of nationalism and opposing Baathism [opposing support for Saddam’s political party], has begun his activities of attacking everything that has anything to do with Iraqi and Arabic culture.
In the name of “Islamic culture,” Iran is seeking to penetrate and poison Iraq’s national culture by suggesting that those who produced Arab culture were Persians, rather than “camel-riding Arabic Bedouins.” Such were the comments of Finance Minister Bayan Jabr Solagh , when he attacked the Saudi Foreign Minister. Solagh, who as Finance Minister is a colleague of Culture Minister Al-Jabri, is also on the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council!
READ THE REST ON WORLDMEETS.US, and log-in for continuing coverage of the Iraq press.
Founder and Managing Editor of Worldmeets.US