sheik Al-Khazali:The armed resistance will officially end with the departure of the occupation forces from Iraq

On Friday, the Secretary-General of Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq movement, Sheikh Qais Khazali, confirmed that the armed resistance will officially end when the occupation forces leave the country making it clear that the resistance is not a mere military movement. 

Sheik Al-Khazali stated in a televised interview that According to the Iraqi constitution, American forces can only remain in Iraq with Parliament’s approval, pointing out that this matter does not solely apply to the military forces”, and that the term “Muqawama” used to be referred to as “Mujahedeen” in Iraq,he also explained that the armed resistance will officially end when the occupation forces leave the country. 

Furthermore, sheik referred to the cultural and jihadist environment that started the popular resistance in Al-Faluja moving to Al-Sader city against the occupation, and he mentioned that the first shots fired against the occupation came from the provinces of Dhi Qar and Basra, stating that between 2012 till 2017 the term “occupation forces” was not used.

Sheikh Qais Khazali revealed that there was a discussion within Al-Hawza regarding the entry of American forces into Iraq, explaining that special groups were formed to fight the American occupation in 2004.

Additionally His Eminence said , “I was influenced by the inspiring notions “of the two martyrs, Muhammed Baqir Al-Sadr and Sayyid Qassem Al-Murqa`,” noting that “the second martyr” Al-Sader (May Allah bless his soul) held the concerns of the poor and the oppressed as his own.

Commenting on his arrest, he explained that it was done by British forces and that he was jailed with the high-risk ones till he got released from prison following a bargain in 2009, he found in himself a change in his relationship with the Sadrist movement.

In terms of the Iraqi resistance (Muqawama), he referred to figures like Emad Mughniyeh who told him that the progression of the Iraqi resistance was going ahead of the Lebanese resistance, as well as the fundamental role of Qasim Suleimani and Abu Mahdi Al-Muhanades in supporting the Mujahedeen, furthermore he considered the political decision behind the formation of the so-called international coalition to fight terrorism in Iraq.

In addition, His Eminence explained that due to the Chinese, Russian and North African crises, Iraq is now number 15 on the American agenda, and that the British role is now dominant after the decline of American influence.

Moreover, Sheikh Khazali explained that bombing diplomatic missions would not be in the country’s interests, revealing that he obtained the names of those who bombed the diplomatic missions and that they were handed over to Adel Abdul Mahdi, indicating that the perpetrators of the bombing were insiders operating with external intelligence guidance, while at the same time he confirmed his support for any bombing of the Foreign military bases in Iraq.

When talking about the operations of the Muqawama factions , Sheik Al-Khazali declared that Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq withdrew from Syria except for few who stayed behind. Noting that more than 90% of Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq members who went to Syria they headed there to gain experience which was achieved against ISIS adding that the just divine state an ideological term and is important for Shiites to pave the way for it.