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Following are excerpts from an interview with former Iraqi MP Mish'an Al-Jabouri, the owner of Arrai TV, which aired on Arrai TV on September 20, 2009.
Mish'an Al-Jabouri: We support good relations between Syria and Iraq, but not between Syria and the Al-Maliki government. We support good relations between Iraq and Syria regardless of who the ruler is, because we believe that this serves the people and their interests, and that it is a positive factor. Personally, I believe in the philosophy and notion of "Suraqia" – Greater Syria and Iraq. This is what I dream about. Just like some people dream of Arab unity and others of Islamic unity, I adhere to the notion of Suraqia.
Therefore, in the days of the late president Saddam Hussein, I used to call from Syria for good Syrian-Iraqi relations, at a time when they were very bad. Back then, Al-Maliki would curse me in the newspaper he had here, and would accuse me of working for the Iraqi intelligence, and of being an agent for Saddam, just because I would call for good Syrian-Iraqi relations. This philosophy has not come to an end. But the truth is that Al-Maliki wanted to profit, because he is a vindictive person. He is someone who... He executed President Saddam Hussein on the day [Al-Maliki's] son got married, and the body as brought to the wedding celebration. Al-Maliki is a sick person, and his hatred is manifest in a horrifying way.
Interviewer: The body was brought there? That’s the first time I hear this.
Mish'an Al-Jabouri: Yes, the body of President Saddam Hussein was brought to the wedding celebration of Al-Maliki's son, amid jubilation, ululation, and applause. He executed Saddam Hussein on the day of his son's wedding. I'm not making this up. He is more than welcome to deny this on Arrai TV.
[...]
I am proud of the actions of these [insurgent] armies [in Iraq]. I am not hiding anything. Let Al-Maliki and America know that I am a humble servant of all these armies. I am happy and honored to play a role – whether financially, in manufacturing [arms] – or helping to manufacture them – or in delivering every landmine used against the occupying army, and every bullet fired in its direction. I am honored, and I can declare that I play a role – whether directly or indirectly, through incitement on Arrai TV, by praising the attackers on Arrai TV and the Al-Itijah Al-Akhar newspaper – in any act of resistance against the occupier. I am not afraid to say this. I am honored to play a practical role – with my money, with all my possessions, with my efforts, and with all the means at my disposal – in [financing] anything that is being shot at the occupation forces.
[...]
I am not the commander of the "Army of Omar." I am a servant of all the Jihad and resistance factions, and I participate [in their struggle] with all my power. I said on the last show, and I don't want to say again... If anyone in Iraq owns a good sniper rifle or good landmines, which can destroy the occupier's vehicles or shoot its soldiers, I am prepared to buy it and pay for it. They should contact me any way they can, so that I can give it to any of the resistance armies, and I will pay for it, in order to fight the occupier and drive it out of our country. This does not scare me. We should not be intimidated by the accusations of that informer, Nuri Al-Maliki, or anyone else. Yes, we are the resistance fighters. We defend our country using all means, and we will continue to do so. Let me tell you, on the air: Since the occupier is now fleeing to its bases, and has less presence on the streets, and the fire of the resistance does not reach it – if any Iraqi hero has new ideas, capabilities, or the technical means to help us manufacture rockets in Iraq, far from eyes of the occupation and the government forces, we will pay him whatever he wants in order to pursue the occupation forces to their bases.
[...]
Let them say that I am responsible for this. I do not hesitate, and I am not afraid. If they feel like it, they can say that I am part of this operation. I truly hope that Allah and the free people help us to reach the point where that occupier is not safe in his own bases, because if it feels safe within its bases, it will remain [in Iraq] for many years.
With our present capabilities... Mortars do not harm the occupier. Let me tell the people with the technical knowhow what we need. Today, when we use a short-range missile to attack a base of the occupier, a helicopter takes off from the base, and reaches the launching site very quickly, if the rocket is fired from distance of 10-15 km. Thus, the brothers who fire these missiles are martyred. But when we have rockets with a range of 70 km, we will be able to launch them 70 km from the base, and they can go round in circles. By the time the occupiers reach the launching site, the heroes who carried out the operation will have gone somewhere safe. We are not worried about this. We are now looking for men in Iraq who can help us to obtain this kind of weapon.
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