Iran: Hakim & Sadr

Mehran Riazaty: Iran Analyst

IRNA On February 18, Representative of the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI), Seyyed Mohsen Hakim said Iran is best example for democracy in the Middle East. He hoped that regional the countries learned solidarity, union and democracy from Iran. He also emphasized on Iraq's people stable position in the Iraq's United Coalition, and said that Iraq's constitution executing, establishing Iraq's federalism, eliminating Baath Party, rebuilding Iraq, improving the security conditions and withdrawing the occupier forces from Iraq, are among the most important strategies of this coalition. READ MORE

Analyst Comment: In past three years I have frequently said that the Multi-National forces must closely monitor SCIRI’s leaders. SCIRI consist of a general assembly of 70 members which represent deferent Islamic movement and scholars. The general assembly elects a central committee of 11members. SCIRI run by collective leadership with Hakim as the chairman of the organization. Central body of the SCIRI has always been the chief body, which incorporates representatives from Kurdish Hezbollah (Muhammad Khalid Barzan) and the Islamic Task organization (Muhammad Taqi Al-Mudarrisi). The central committee is in charge of following units: Military, International Relations, Publicity, Information and Investigation, Social Services, and Administrative and Finance.

SCIRI is funded directly by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC). SCIRI has its own militia, the Badr Brigades, which at least until very recently conducted military maneuvers with units of the Revolutionary Guards on Iraqi territory adjoining the Iranian border. On May 7, 2003, Dr. Hamid Al-Bayati, the UK representative of the SCIRI, claimed that SCIRI have camps in the north, center and south of Iran and these camps are very huge with thousand of fighters.

IRIB On February 19 - Iraq's Shiite political figure Muqtada Sadr said his faction had no plans to build ties with the US unless it pulled troops from Iraq. Sadr, on a three-day visit to Amman, also told the daily newspaper al-Ghad that he supported ties with Lebanese and Palestinian resistance Islamic Movements, Hezbullah and Hamas. While he defended his faction's participation in the government, Sadr said any future ties with the US hinged on its withdrawal from Iraq.

Analyst Comment: On August 11, 2003- Sadr said that his Army of Mehdi was created only to protect clerics in Najaf. At the beginning the Army of Mehdi had over 1000 members. Now, Army of Mehdi has over 12,000 members.

On 2003, Al Safire newspaper, published in Lebanon reported that in an interview Moqtada Al Sadr said that he has no relation with Iran’s government and he only visited Iran once. Sadr added that the situation in Iraq is not like Iran and we do not expect to have Islamic government like Iran has had since 1979. Three weeks ago Sadr was in Iran again and said if US attack Iran; his Army of Mahdi will defend Iran.

Mehran Riazaty: a former Iran analyst for the Central Command of the Coalition Forces in Baghdad.