Maliki the Shiite Candidate
Breaking news: CNN is reporting that United Iraqi Alliance has informally decided to replace Ibrahim Jaafari with MP Jawad al-Maliki of the Islamic Dawa Party as its candidate for prime minister. The formal decision will be made on Saturday.
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Here are some documents from the Open Source Center of the USG on al-Maliki, beginning in 2002. Note that in 2004 he was a major spokesman for Islamic law being implemented in Iraq and expressed reservations about the Interim Constitution on those grounds. Likewise, he is obviously fairly anti-Israeli, wondering if Israeli troops were operating in Iraq disguised as US soldiers, and worried that Israelis might be able to own property in Iraq.
He is also a hardliner on debaathification and I don’t think the Sunni Arabs are going to like him better than Jaafari.
Maliki played a major role in mediating between the US and Muqtada al-Sadr during the fighting of spring, 2004 (which killed Cindy Sheehan’s son among many others).
The item dated December 17, 2002 is particularly ironic, since al-Maliki was warning that US policies might produce a civil war after the overthrow of the Baath government. And, he said, ruling an Iraq full of widows, orphans and heavy debt would be no fun. He might get to try.
‘ Al-Da’wah Party Denies IntentionTo Participate in Opposition Conference
London Al-Zaman in Arabic 18 Sep 02 p3
AL-ZAMAN
Wednesday, September 18, 2002
Journal Code: 7914 Language: ENGLISH Record Type: FULLTEXT
Document Type: Daily Report; News
Word Count: 496Report by Abd-al-Zahrah al-Rikabi in Damascus: “Al-Da’wah Party: No One Represents Us in the Preparatory Committee of the Opposition Conference”
(FBIS Translated Text) Muhammad al-Haydari, chief of the Political Bureau of the Supreme Council of the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI), told the press that the Islamic Al-Da’wah Party will be represented in the preparatory committee of the Iraqi opposition conference that is due to be held in the next few weeks. He said the party is now the seventh member of the committee, which originally was made up of representatives of six groups.
Commenting on this statement, Jawad al-Maliki, official spokesman for the Al-Da’wah Party’s Political Bureau, said: “The Al-Da’wah Party has a clear position toward participation in the scheduled meeting and its preparatory committee. It set its conditions for attending any conference for the Iraqi opposition. As for the statement of SCIRI Political Bureau chief Muhammad al-Haydari, in which he said that brother Izz-al-din Salim will participate as the seventh member in the six-member committee to represent most of the trends within the Al-Da’wah Party, we say that the Islamic Al-Da’wah Party has its leadership, press, and official spokesman, as well as official spokesmen for its Political Bureau. The party has stated its position toward recent developments and toward the conference.”
He added: “Brother Izz-al-din Salim (Abu-Yasin) became a member of the provisional General Secretariat of the Islamic Forces Association after he left SCIRI. It is true that he was invited to attend and that he consulted the leadership of the Al-Da’wah Party, but the answer was negative. He decided to participate in his personal capacity and not as a representative of the Islamic Al-Da’wah Party. We regret that Al-Haydari used the phrase ‘most of the Al-Da’wah Party trends’ because that suggested that the unity of the party is weak. We do not accept this from Al-Haydari, especially since we know that he is an honest, sincere man with good intentions and positions.”
Al-Maliki said: “Many people are close to certain parties and movements.
If anyone close a party can represent it, then all of these people can represent the parties and movements they are close to. And why should the Al-Da’wah Party choose someone who is close to it to be its representative? We respect the opinion and choice of Izz-al-din Salim.
But duty and right require us to clarify this matter to avoid any confusion.”
(Description of Source: London-based independent Iraqi daily providing coverage of Arab and international issues, including extensive reporting on Iraqi opposition activities; has an anti-Iraqi regime orientation, and is headed by the former editor of the Iraqi daily Al-Jumhuriy) ‘
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‘ Al-Da’wah Party Official on Iraqi Opposition Conference, Possible War
Beirut Al-Safir (Internet Version-WWW) in Arabic 17 Dec 02
AL-SAFIR
Tuesday, December 17, 2002
Journal Code: 406 Language: ENGLISH Record Type: FULLTEXT
Document Type: Daily Report; News
Word Count: 857Report by Khalil Harb: “Seven Pieces of Advice From Al-Da’wah Party to the Participants in the London Conference; Al-Maliki Tells Al-Safir: Those Who Rule After Saddam Cannot Be Envied”
(FBIS Translated Text) The Iraqi Islamic Al-Da’wah Party yesterday called on the participants in the London conference (for Iraqi opposition) not to struggle among themselves for power in Baghdad. The party addressed seven “pieces of advice” to the conferees, mainly “not to go too far in reliance on international forces”, and “to spare the Iraqis future disasters and conflicts through their differences”.
On the possibility of civil war in Iraq, Al-Da’wah Political Bureau member Jawad al-Maliki, also known as Abu-Isra, told Al-Safir that so far the Iraqi opposition has been generally discussing things with a sense of responsibility and stressing the need to avoid anything that might cause split. “The danger to Iraq lies in the possibility of the US Administration making mistake in its supervision of this crisis,” he said.
Asked to address “a last-minute advice” to the conferees in London, Al-Maliki said: “We hope they will not relinquish the interests of the Iraqi people and that they will spare the Iraqis disasters and possible conflicts. We hope they will adopt the agreed-upon political discourse as the basis of their plans for the Iraq of the future. We hope they will not endanger Iraq’s unity, that they will give the Iraqis a chance to chose their alternative government, that they will not go too far in reliance on international forces, and that they will avoid the language of party and factional interests.”
Noting the massive burden that any new government in Iraq will have to shoulder, Al-Maliki said the opposition should “steer clear of personal interests and power sharing”. He said: “Those who will rule Iraq after Saddam Husayn cannot be envied. Don’t fight for ruling an Iraq full of widows and orphans and burdened with heavy debt.”
Asked why Al-Da’wah Party did not participate in the London conference, Al-Maliki said that the party had set a number of conditions for its participation. These conditions, he explained, were the need for independent decision, correct representation and eligibility, clear objectives, responsive reaction from the other national forces, and absence of American hegemony.
He dismissed the idea of an alternative conference for other Iraqi forces as “dispersal and exhaustion of the opposition forces”.
Asked if his party is ready to join bodies that the London conference might form, Al-Maliki replied: “We did not participate in the conference.
How can we participate in bodies that have no influence and that do not suit our party?” But if the idea is presented to the party, he added, “we will present our vision of a joint plan. But we do not automatically join.” He recalled what he called the party’s constant principles that prevented it from participating in the London conference.
Asked about reports that the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq is dominating Shiite representation, Al-Maliki said: “The Shiite field is large and diversified. It is too big for any single faction to accommodate. Each of us can claim that it represents a segment proportional to its size and influence.”
On his party’s position toward a possible war, he said: “We are against the war in the first place, not because we want to protect Saddam Husayn but because we fear the repercussions of this war on the Iraqi people and infrastructure. We hope the fall of the regime will not result in mass catastrophes. If faced by resistance, the Americans will use their massive power and kill thousands. If the war was against Saddam, the issue could be discussed, but only after exhausting all efforts to avoid it.”
“To prevent war,” he added, “we hope Saddam Husayn will step down and leave the Iraqi people determine their future.”
Asked what position the Al-Da’wah Party will adopt if a war breaks out, Al-Maliki said: “We will not serve as a bridge for any international force coming to attack Iraq. We will not defend Saddam Husayn, either.
But still, we will not stand as spectators.”
If a despotic regime emerges in Iraq after Saddam Husayn, Al-Maliki said, “we will be careful not to drag Iraq to any civil war or armed clash, but we will resist the military government, and if a war is declared on us, we will defend ourselves.”
Asked what kind of future government the Al-Da’wah Party would like to see in Iraq, he said: “We prefer the democratic game. What the people decide is the thing that matters, away from sects and ethnicity. This is although we call for an Islamic — not religious — state as long as the Iraqis voluntarily and willingly support such a state.”
(Description of Source: Beirut Al-Safir (Internet Version-WWW) in Arabic ‘
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Iraqi Al-Da’wah Party Official on Meeting With Khalilzad, US Offer
Beirut Al-Safir (Internet Version-WWW) in Arabic 18 Jan 03
AL-SAFIR
Saturday, January 18, 2003
Journal Code: 406 Language: ENGLISH Record Type: FULLTEXT
Document Type: Daily Report; News
Word Count: 1,233Report by Khalil Harb: “Al-Da’wah Party’s Story of the Meeting Between Zalmai Khalilzad and Al-Ja’fari; Al-Maliki Tells Al-Safir: They Offered Us One-Third of the Follow-up Committee”
(FBIS Translated Text) A senior leader of the Islamic Al-Da’wah Party has disclosed that the United States offered this Iraqi opposition group a one-third share in the expanded follow-up committee emanating from the London conference for the Iraqi opposition. It also offered the formation of a joint steering committee for the opposition factions in which the Al-Da’wah Party would have a big share. The official stressed that the party will boycott the opposition conference that will be held in February.
US special envoy Zalmai Khalilzad has recently met in Washington with Al-Daw’ah Party Spokesman Ibrahim al-Ja’fari in an attempt to persuade the party to join the US-sponsored efforts of the Iraqi opposition.
Not much details were leaked about the meeting, the offer that Khalilzad made to Al-Ja’fari, or the party’s response. But Al-Da’wah Party Political Bureau member Jawad al-Maliki told Al-Safir that the party rejected the American offer. He criticized “America’s unilateral handling of the crisis” and “its flagrant interference”. He said the United States wants to turn the opposition into merely a “cover” for the impending war and “an obedient tool to implement its designs”. The Al-Da’wah Party, he said, wants “independent opposition decision”. He noted that some countries in the region “have not encouraged us because they are not happy with what is happening and they fear the results”.
Al-Maliki, nicknamed Abu-Isra, said the meeting between Al-Ja’fari and Khalilzad “took place after Al-Ja’fari’s participation in the Islamic Society’s conference, which has been held in the United States for 25 years, and which is attended by people from the Gulf, Iraq, and Lebanon”.
He said Al-Ja’fari “did not travel to the United States to meet with Khalilzad or others”. “While he was there he was invited to the meeting” with the special US envoy, he said.
Asked what issues Khalilzad raised in the meeting, Al-Maliki said the American official “invited the Al-Da’wah Party to join their plan, in which they absorbed the participating Iraqi opposition factions to cover for the American military strike.”
He added: “After our rejection of the principle of participating in a plan that lacks national principles, the concerned Americans and some opposition activists working with them kept trying with us, believing that the rejection was due to differences over posts or numbers in the conference or in the follow-up committee or the preparatory committee.”
He went on: “In the meeting with Al-Ja’fari the issues they raised were against this background and belief, such as giving the party the right to add 35 new members to the follow-up committee and establishing an opposition leadership consisting of 9-15 members in which the Al-Da’wah Party would play a key role.” He said the Americans expressed their “dissatisfaction with the results and mechanisms of the London conference” and stressed that the presence of the Islamic Al-Da’wah Party “completes the picture in the way they like.”
Asked how Al-Ja’fari responded, Al-Maliki said: “The answer was definitely not positive. The principles that prompted the party to boycott (the London conference) remain unchanged. The party cannot join a plan that does not rise to the required level” of “the opposition’s independent decision, comprehensive consensus, and a political and operational program to handle the crisis”.
He said the leaders of the Al-Da’wah Party in the region and Europe held meetings “to discuss the situation. Decision-makers in the party soon got on touch and the natural climate was to reject (the American offer)”. He said the party did not send a written reply to the Americans because its does not have an official relationship with the US Administration. He said an American representative in London was informed of the party’s position, and the reply was also announced by Al-Ja’fari himself and by Abu-Bilal al-Adib, spokesman for the party’s Political Bureau, in statements to newspapers and television channels.
Al-Maliki stressed that “there is no need for any further official replies.” He drew a distinction between “accepting the dialogue and the invitation to it and accepting the offers made to us”.
Al-Maliki said that the Americans were told that the party “discusses any plans with the concerned parties; namely, our partners in the Iraqi opposition”. In essence, he added, our reply “underlines the mistake that the US policy made in the past in its approach to the Iraqi crisis, when the United States imposed itself as the alternative to the opposition. We reiterated our opinion about the Administration’s mistake without rejection cooperation with any party, including the United States, when it offers a helping hand on the basis of common interests”.
He explained: “We told them that beating the drums of war in this way will destroy what is left of Iraq and will open the gates of hell to the Iraqis and their interests. We repeatedly told them: If you want to cooperate, leave the Iraqis decide what they want and you help us through the activation of the resolutions on human rights and the provision of media and political support.” He added: “But the history of common action by the Iraqi opposition shows flagrant American interference to foil the plans that were drawn up without American contribution. This shows that the United States does not want us to handle our crisis through our own will and without going through its will and interests.”
Asked what Washington expects from the opposition, Al-Maliki said: “It expects us to be obedient tools in the formidable US policy machine, implementing its plans. They expect us to accept to serve as a banner and a cover for the war and as a tool in a political system with incomplete sovereignty and will, giving America’s strategic interest precedence over Iraq’s interest.”
Al-Maliki said it is necessary to recognize the forces “that have a base and influence. There is no use giving positions to forces with not extension or ability to influence part of the Iraqi people”. He expressed appreciation of the fact that the main opposition factions encouraged the Al-Da’wah Party to “stand by them because they know the party’s weight and influence and the danger of its staying out of any plan.”
Asked if the party was encouraged by regional governments to join current preparations, Al-Maliki said that this “did not happen because we firmly believe that these countries are not happy with what is happening and they fear the results”.
He stressed that the Al-Da’wah Party will boycott the forthcoming opposition conference. He said: “Unless our firm principles and the reasons behind our boycott are addressed in a way acceptable to us, the boycott decision remains valid and irrevocable. If we boycotted the main conference, it is natural for us to boycott its products, namely, the forthcoming meeting in Kurdistan.”
(Description of Source: Beirut Al-Safir (Internet Version-WWW) in Arabic
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Iraqi Kurdish KDP, Islamic Al-Da’wah Leaders Discuss Bilateral Ties
Salah-al-Din Kurdistan Satellite TV in Sorani Kurdish 1830 GMT 24 Sep 03
KURDISTAN SATELLITE TV
Wednesday, September 24, 2003
Journal Code: 7781 Language: ENGLISH Record Type: FULLTEXT
Document Type: Daily Report; News
Word Count: 180(FBIS Translated Text) (Kurdistan Democratic Party, KDP) Leader Mas’ud Barzani in Salah-al-Din today received a high-level delegation of the Islamic Al-Da’wah Party comprising members of the political bureau Jawad al-Maliki and Dr Sadiq al-Rikabi.
The general situation in the region and Iraq, and ways of dealing with the ongoing developments to ensure the consolidation of stability, establishment of security and development of the country were discussed at the meeting.
The two sides expressed their satisfaction with the relations between them in the stages that led to the downfall of the deposed regime and stressed the need to strengthening them in cooperation with all the other political parties and sides with a view to serving joint objectives, especially the building of a democratic, federal and pluralist Iraq, within the framework of which the rights and duties of citizens of all nationalities and sects would be guaranteed.
——Program Summary: Tehran Voice of the Islamic Republic of Iran External Service in Arabic 1830 GMT 25 Dec 03
Tehran Voice of the Islamic Republic of Iran External Service in Arabic 25 Dec 03
VOICE OF THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN
Thursday, December 25, 2003
Journal Code: 2749 Language: ENGLISH Record Type: FULLTEXT
Document Type: Daily Report; News
Word Count: 517(FBIS Report)
Newscast
E. Interview with Jawad al-Maliki, Political Bureau member in the Iraqi Islamic Al-Da’wah Party, who notes the important talks in Iraq between Iraqi and Arab League officials. Iraqis are determined to get the regional and international bodies involved in the Iraqi crisis. ‘=====
Iraq: Shiite Leader Muqtada Al-Sadr Reportedly Agrees to Proposed Truce
Beirut Al-Manar Television in Arabic 1430 GMT 10 Apr 04
Saturday, April 10, 2004
Journal Code: 9079 Language: ENGLISH Record Type: FULLTEXT
Document Type: Daily Report; News
Word Count: 102Announcer-read report
(FBIS Translated Text)
As regards the negotiations currently held with Sayyid Muqtada al-Sadr in holy Al-Najaf, Al-Manar correspondent has learned that Sayyid Muqtada al-Sadr agreed to a proposed truce. Jawad al-Maliki, a leading figure in the Islamic Daw’ah Party which is mediating between Al-Sadr and the US forces, said that he relayed to Sayyid al-Sadr’s office a letter written by the command of the US forces demanding the dissolution of Al-Mahdi Army and withdrawal from the state institutions.
(Description of Source: Beirut Al-Manar Television — Affiliated with the pro-Iranian Hizballah)
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Program Summary: Tehran Voice of the Islamic Republic of Iran External Service in Arabic 1830 GMT 10 Apr 04
Tehran Voice of the Islamic Republic of Iran External Service in Arabic 10 Apr 04
VOICE OF THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN
Saturday, April 10, 2004
Journal Code: 2749 Language: ENGLISH Record Type: FULLTEXT
Document Type: Daily Report; News
Word Count: 532(FBIS Report)
Newscast
Reception: Good
A. News:
1. The US troops in Iraq handed Muqtada al-Sadr written proposals to end the confrontations, according to Jawad al-Maliki, who belongs to Al-Da’wah Party. He handed the proposals to Al-Sadr. The US troops are calling for the disbanding of Al-Mahdi Army and the withdrawal of gunmen from public buildings. Al-Sadr called for the withdrawal of the US troops. (1 min)
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Iraq’s Al-Da’wah Official Says Party Not Comfortable With Interim Constitution
Beirut Al-Nahar (Internet Version-WWW) in Arabic 14 Mar 04
AL-NAHAR
Sunday, March 14, 2004
Journal Code: 405 Language: ENGLISH Record Type: FULLTEXT
Document Type: Daily Report; News
Word Count: 920Report on an interview with Jawad al-Maliki, Political Bureau member of the Iraqi Al-Da’wah Party, by Radwan Aqil in Beirut; date not given
(FBIS Translated Text)
Al-Da’wah Party in Iraq has been occupying a prominent position on the political map for years in a country that is torn by divisions and party struggles. Its leadership emphasizes that its true popularity will emerge when the first parliamentary elections are held that will allow each power to show its presence. The party is highly organized and its officials and members have been subjected to countless harassment by the former Ba’th regime, so much so that Saddam Husayn once expressed his admiration for the high sense of tolerance demonstrated by its leaders while being subjected to the cruelest types of torture. Despite this, they never retreated from their beliefs and doctrine, not even when they were on death row. This happened a number of times. Al-Da’wah is represented in the Governing Council by its president Ibrahim al-Ja’fari.
It also has two government portfolios, health and telecommunications. Its members occupy a number of high-ranking positions in several ministries. Despite this, the party believes that it has not gained the natural place that it deserves in the country.
In a private visit to Beirut, Political Bureau Member Jawad al-Maliki told Al-Nahar that he objects to some articles of the State Administration Law (constitution). His criticism did not spare the Kurdish leaders and representatives.
He added: We have a number of observations about the articles of the constitution, and we mentioned these observations during the dialogue and discussions and voiced them in a special statement. During the signing ceremony, Dr Al-Ja’fari expressed his objection to a paragraph that allows two-thirds of the population in three governorates to obstruct what the majority decides. We expressed our reservation regarding this paragraph. Although it is not exclusive to the Kurds only, it ultimately gives the minority the ability to impede the decision of the majority, which is against democracy. Everyone in Iraq is thinking of ways to create guarantees for himself because of the past history of fear. We believe that these guarantees will impede the work of the constriction in the future. We are not comfortable with this constitution. We believe that the fact that this reservation has been taken note of means that the issue could be reconsidered, particularly since a large group of members of the Governing Council made the same reservation. This paragraph will be a bomb that will obstruct the constitution if the Kurds use it arbitrarily.
He added: What forced the Al-Da’wah to accept the constitution was the desire to end the political crisis and avoid setting up an ethnic federalism. It was agreed that Kirkuk would not be part of Kurdistan. This constitution is an interim law issued by the appointed Governing Council, which does not represent the broad base of the Iraqi people. The occupation authority has appointed the council, which has limited powers. When the new council is formed and a new administration is established, everything will change. What made us accept the constitution is that we care about the political process in Iraq. Of course we are upset with the behavior of the Kurds, who are operating on the basis of ethnic considerations. The constitution did not focus on the question of the rights of the Shiites, although we are not speaking from an ethnic viewpoint but rather out of our care for the homeland.
Al-Maliki denied that Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani has imposed his ideas on the Shiite representatives at the Governing Council. He added:
If Al-Sayyid Al-Sistani issues a fatwa (religious verdict) prohibiting the constitution we will follow him because he is highly popular among the masses.
Al-Maliki reacted strongly to Iraqi voices that accused the Shiite and Al-Sistani followers of operating with an Iranian mentality. He noted that such talk echoes the logic of Saddam. If we hear this talk from any state official, no matter how senior he might be, we will demand his dismissal and his trial to leave no room for sedition, he noted.
Al-Maliki pointed out that his party and other forces have managed to reach agreement on a paragraph in the constitution that stipulates that it is impermissible to draft legislations that are contrary to Islam, although the US Civil Administrator in Iraq Paul Bremer said earlier in Karbala that he prefers not to see Islam as the source of legislation in the constitution. Al-Da’wah, however, decided to handle the situation according to its circumstances, considering that the law is an interim law that will remain in force until the new constitution is drafted at the end of 2005.
He noted that Al-Da’wah Party agrees to see the Kurdish language used in the Kurdish areas but it objects to equating it with Arabic. He added: Everything in this regard will be discussed in the new constitution.
Al-Maliki noted that there are no visible Israel offices in Baghdad, but he does not deny that the Mossad has managed to hide under the occupation troops. We do not have figures to indicate the purchases of land and homes, he added, noting that the Al-Da’wah Party will strongly object to any permission that allows the Israeli airlines, El Al, to cross Iraqi airspace.
(Description of Source: Beirut Al-Nahar (Internet Version-WWW) in Arabic — Independent, moderate, centrist, and christian; root URL: https://www.annahar.com.lb)’
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Shiite Radio: Allawi Orders Quick Implementation of De-Ba’thification Decisions
(Clandestine) Voice of the Mujahidin in Arabic 1530 GMT 25 Nov 04
(CLANDESTINE) VOICE OF THE MUJAHIDIN
Thursday, November 25, 2004
Journal Code: 9214 Language: ENGLISH Record Type: FULLTEXT
Document Type: Daily Report; News
Word Count: 141(FBIS Translated Text)
The prime minister’s office has issued strict directives to all ministries to expeditiously implement the de-Ba’thification decisions. Jawad al-Maliki, deputy speaker of the interim parliament, said that the recent incidents in Mosul proved that the Iraqi security services have been penetrated by members of the former regime. He stressed that the government discovered that a large number of police members did not perform their duties, adding that it turned out later that those members have links with gunmen and the Ba’th Party in particular. Al-Maliki welcomed the government’s directives to re-implement the decisions, which the prime minister cancelled after assuming office, on the dismissal of Ba’thists from state institutions.
(Description of Source: (Clandestine) Voice of the Mujahidin in Arabic — Shiite radio believed to be affiliated with the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq)
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