[news] Iran is running Iraq, Says Iraqis

[Resist!ca]

Asked about the Islamic gangs who force women to wear headscarves and prevent the sale of alcohol and music, a member of the writers' union immediately started trembling. "I'm sorry, I can't talk about that. This is a dangerous thing," he said. "I have three kids and I love life. The Islamic movement is very hard. Al- Qaeda is not a problem here. The Iranian revolution is the problem." The various Islamic parties, most of whom spent years of exile from Saddam Hussein's Iraq in neighbouring Iran, deny any link to the violence and blame al-Qaeda. But officials say that the parties are closely linked to Iran, receiving funding and reciprocating with intelligence. Samir Jassim Khadair, a spokesman for the Southern Oil Company in Basra, was blunt. "Iran is running Iraq, frankly speaking," he said.

URL: http://resist.ca/story/2005/7/29/21817/4497