Posted on 04/11/2004 12:38:31 PM PDT by areafiftyone
Iraq in turmoil 1: Islamic leaders held secret summit to lay plans to resist allied occupation
A secret meeting of senior Islamic activists held in London last month took the decision to “stir the the Iraqi Shiite resistance” against the US-British led occupation of Iraq which led to the major escalation of hostilities over the last week to coincide with the first anniversary of the fall of Baghdad.
Delegates with affiliations to militant Islamic groups from across the Middle East, including many that are banned as terrorist organisations, travelled from all over Europe for the confidential closed-door sessions at various Islamic centres in central London.
Representative from both Sunni and Shiite groups and from countries such as Syria, the Gulf States and Saudi Arabia attended the conference.
According to an Arab source in Paris, among them were representatives of active terrorist organisations, like Lebanese Hezbollah, and some figures close to firebrand young Shiite leader Moqtada al-Sadr who is behind the current uprising in Iraq and now hunted by the US authorities in Iraq as an “outlaw and fugitive from justice”.
They also agreed to avoid any armed clashes between Sunnis and Shiites after the handover of power scheduled for June 30, and to grant al-Sadr a greater margin of manoeuvrability on the ground allowing his al-Medhi militia army to confront coalition forces and exacerbate the crisis.
A source in Europe, who asked not to be named, said “the secret debate and decision to move the Shiite front against the the American occupation in Iraq marked the the most prominent among the recommendations finalised at the conference held on March on 13 and 14”.
The Sunday Herald last night asked the Home Office if it was aware of the meeting and its repercussions. A spokesman would only restate their policy of not commenting on any matter involving intelligence agencies.
It is highly unlikely that such a gathering would have gone unnoticed and unsupervised by Britain’s intelligence agencies. That points to both the UK and US governments being aware in advance of the timing for a potential escalation in violence – now being seen in Iraq.
The meeting entitled “Islamic Movement and Iraq,” was instigated by the Iraqi Islamic Party without the knowledge or approval of the US-appointed governing council in Iraq, was subjected to a complete media blackout and held under maximum secrecy.
The Iraqi Islamic party is London-based but works underground in Iraq, and is currently in contact with a number of Iraqi opposition factions inside Iraq to “come together to stand up to the occupation and its agents”.
“Those present at the meeting asserted that Sunni resistance alone was not enough for turning the balance of power with the occupying forces, so, they agreed to find the necessary means and move the Shiite resistance from peaceful protests to a much more effective role,” said the source.
‘Some were already resident in the UK, but many travelled from cities in Europe,” confirmed the French source.
Asked how, given British security concerns, such movement would have been possible, the source said: “It would have been easy for some because many represent legitimate moderate Islamic groups, but in reality are connected to militant organisations like Hezbollah to whom they would report back directly.”
The source said that “delegates” at the sessions clinched an agreement on a tripartite agenda, including the speeding up of Shiite inclusion in resistance operations against occupation forces.
Last Monday the US authorities issued an arrest warrant for al-Sadr, as the Shiite leader vowed defiance calling for an end to the one-year American occupation.
"According to an Arab source in Paris"
"A source in Europe, who asked not to be named"
This is the group who is negotiating the Fallujah ceasefires..
Iraqi Islamic Party Forms Front To Resist Occupation
A new front will be set up to stand up to the U.S. occupation
By Abdul Raheem Ali, IOl Staff
CAIRO, April 15 (IslamOnline.net) - A new front to rebuild and liberate Iraq from the U.S. occupation will be set up in cooperation with a number of national Iraqi movements, head of Iraq’s Islamic Party -- Muslim Brotherhood in Iraq - Eyad al-Samra’i announced Tuesday, April 15.
“The setting up of this nascent front comes in response to the U.S. attempts to form a new Iraqi regime of Iraqi exiles to achieve the U.S. goals,” he told IslamOnline.net over the phone, but made no mention to these national Iraqi movements.
However, al-Samra’i said that his London-based party, which works under ground in Iraq, is currently in contacts with a number of Iraqi opposition factions inside Iraq to “come together to stand up to the occupation and its agents.”
He said this front focuses on achieving two primary goals: forcing the U.S. and U.K. troops out and urging all Iraqi mosaic factions to act in unison for a free democratic Iraq.
“Iraqis should let bygones be bygones and boost national unity, which would play a pivotal role in forcing the occupation troops out,” al-Samra’i stressed.
He also called on Iraqi national movements to reject any U.S. plans aimed at redrawing the geopolitical map of Iraq.
IslamOnline.net received a copy of a statement released by the party, which flatly rejected the U.S. occupation of Iraq and regarded as treason any collaboration with the U.S. and U.K. troops in Iraq.
It also reiterated the inalienable right of the Iraqi people to self-determination and the importance of facing the “psychological warfare,” which depicted Iraqis as warmly welcoming the occupying troops and took advantage of the widespread looting to tarnish the image of Iraqis and paper over the crimes of the occupation.
The statement also called for “exposing the malicious plans to destroy Iraq and entrenches the foothold of the occupation by setting government facilities ablaze and looting hospitals, universities, banks and museums in Iraq.”
It also warned of sectarian sedition in Iraq, asserting the territorial integrity of the country.
The statement urged keeping Iraq’s seat in the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and protecting the country’s oil sector.
It further called for writing off the back-breaking debts owed by Iraq and exhorted Arab countries and international community to proffer a helping hand to the Iraqis to liberate their country from the “malevolent occupation.”
After some extensive research, I've identified two people (see photo, at podium). While I cannot definitely prove their membership in this terrorist organization, I can unequivocally state that they share many of the same goals and have been actively supporting the IIP's efforts.
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