Informed Comment Homepage

Thoughts on the Middle East, History and Religion

Header Right

Donate

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Google+
  • Email
  • RSS
  • Featured
  • US politics
  • Middle East
  • Environment
  • US Foreign Policy
  • Energy
  • Economy
  • Politics
  • About
  • Archives
  • Submissions

© 2023 Informed Comment

  • Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Uncategorized

Outgoing Interior Minister Warns On

Juan Cole 04/20/2005

Tweet
Share
Reddit
Email
0 Shares

Outgoing Interior Minister Warns on Iran, Badr Corps

Falah al-Naqib, the interior minister in the expiring government of Iyad Allawi, warned Tuesday that melding the Shiite Badr Corps into the new Iraqi security forces would be a mistake. He also blamed Iranian intelligence for the rumors that Sunni guerrillas had taken over 100 Shiites hostage at Mada’in (a charge that is completely implausible, by the way).

Al-Naqib is a relic of the old Iraq. His father had been a high Baath official who broke with Saddam in the late 1970s and went to Scandinavia. A Sunni, Falah al-Naqib was brought in as interior minister by the ex-Baathist Iyad Allawi, a long-time CIA asset. The central officials of the Allawi government were secular ex-Baathists, many of whom sounded alarums about Iran.

In fact, Iran supported the recent elections and claims to have encouraged Iraqis to vote in them.

Al-Naqib said of the Badr Corps, “We are against multiplying security forces in Iraq. ” He said that the entry of distinct units like the Badr Corps into the ministry of the interior would constitute a danger to the police force and other security agencies.”

Filed Under: Uncategorized

About the Author

Juan Cole is the founder and chief editor of Informed Comment. He is Richard P. Mitchell Professor of History at the University of Michigan He is author of, among many other books, Muhammad: Prophet of Peace amid the Clash of Empires and The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam. Follow him on Twitter at @jricole or the Informed Comment Facebook Page

Primary Sidebar

STAY INFORMED

Join our newsletter and have sharp analysis delivered to your inbox every day.

Twitter

Follow Juan Cole @jricole or Informed Comment @infcomment on Twitter

Facebook



Sign up for our newsletter

Informed Comment © 2023 All Rights Reserved

Posting....