Interview with Abdel Jabbaar Al-Kubeisi
Interview with Abdel Jabbaar Al-Kubeisi, chairman of the Iraqi National Coalition at the occasion of its third congress in Paris, February 9, 2003
What is your position on the upcoming war against your country?
We will take up arms and fight the US invaders by all means possible.
What about your demand for democracy, will you drop it, will you renounce to your opposition to the regime of Saddam Hussein?
Iraq needs democracy in peace and war and democratic reforms will even strengthen the readiness of the people to defend the county. However, we will subordinate our political conflict to the defence of your country. A defeat of the US will give us more possibilities.
Will you return to your country before the war starts?
Some of us have been in exile for up to 35 years. Therefore it will not be easy but some will return before the war breaks out. In such an emergency situation we cannot stay abroad. We will ask for weapons and fight the Americans.
Recently you have been to Baghdad to negotiate the conditions of the return of the patriotic opposition. Did the authorities meet your demands?
Partially. We are allowed to begin the construction of parties and they granted us to publish newspapers. This is a first step.
You yourself originate from the Syrian wing of the Baath party. In your coalition there are also Kurdish forces. What do you thing of federalism in order to solve this prolonged conflict?
The word is cheating as federalism will divide the country. Our democratic programme will also solve the national problem. We accept Kurdish as an official language.
Your movement has always been secular. But in your alliance there are also Islamic forces. What is your vision of a future state?
We are advocating a secular state with respect to all the religious groups.
Will Saddam be able to defend the county?
Why you are so afraid? The US will kill thousands, tens of thousands. They can destroy our entire county as they are strong. But the question is whether they can maintain their rule. Maybe they will take Baghdad, but not the entire country. They want to colonise us. But it will not be easy for them. They do not take into account that the Iraqi people got a rich history of anti-colonial struggles and uprisings. They are about to train Iraqi military forces in Hungary to guide them once having invaded Iraq, but they will not be able to establish a stable regime there.
